Gigas
by Mistress Nahemah
Summary: Vyse, Aika, and Fina wake up one day on a strange ship, with people that look like they could be related to Fina. What have these strange people done to the three while they slept? And why is Vyse acting so strange? COMPLETE
1. Chapter One

Okay.... I'm back.... and in a different section than anime! Yah!   
  
This actually was the first story I ever wrote, I just didn't know how to post on fanfiction yet, and ended up deleting it. It wasn't that good, anyways. So I'm thinking about rewriting it. And that is where you guys come in. You give me positive feedback, I'll continue... sooner or later. You give me negative feedback, I won't continue. Simple as that.   
  
So.... welcome to Gigas, my new story. Please keep all hands and feet inside the story until it has come to a complete stop. Thank you very much.  
  
-------  
  
Vyse leaned against the ship's railing, having nothing else to do. His hands where bound, his feet were bound, and he had awoken to find himself lying on the ground where he currently was now. 'This... is a problem...' he thought, looking up at the sky. Neither of the moons where in sight, so he had no idea where he was. And Aika and Fina weren't anywhere nearby, but he knew they had also been taken aboard the ship; he had seen them being knocked out by shady figures before being knocked out himself. 'This.... sucks.... so.... much....'   
  
"Hey, you!"  
  
Vyse didn't even bother to look up at the speaker, instead, he stared at the boots in front of him. They looked like something Fina would wear, only a bit more masculine. "What?" he replied.  
  
"You're the one from Crescent Isle, aren't you?"  
  
He shrugged. "Maybe. Depends on who's asking."  
  
"Is it true that you're the supposed King of Rouges?"  
  
"Again, it depends on who's asking."  
  
The man grumbled something before walking away, leaving Vyse back to his thoughts. 'I wish I had my cutlasses... then all I could just summon up a Pirate's Wrath and free myself, and attack them all.'   
  
The sudden impact of a boot in his side jerked him out of his daydreams. "Come on, kid, we're going to go to business, now." The boot kicked him even harder, causing him to fall. Vyse's control snapped in an instant.   
  
"You just wait until you untie me! First thing I'll do is crush your neck with my bare hands!"  
  
The man snorted. "Yeah, right. When we untie you, you'll be powerless to do anything. Now get up, we have work to do."  
  
"I can't."  
  
"What do you mean you can't?"  
  
Vyse showed his bound feet. "I am not hopping all the way to wherever you want me to go. You'll have to take these off, first." He smirked. "Or, you could always carry me."  
  
The man groaned, bending down with to undo the rope. "No funny stuff, okay?"  
  
Vyse stood to his feet, staring around him. There wasn't much to see. Blue skies, all around him. 'I'm not going to try anything until I know where the heck I am,' he thought, looking at the man for the first time. He looked somewhat similar to Fina in a way..... almost like a distant cousin or something..... only much, much meaner.  
  
"What are you gawking at, kid? Come on, follow me."  
  
Vyse followed the man off of the deck slowly. "Can I ask a question?"  
  
"What is it, brat?"  
  
Vyse bristled a bit at being called a brat. "Where are my friends?"  
  
"Your friends? You mean those two pretty girls? One red head, one blonde?"  
  
Vyse nodded. "Yes. Where are they?"  
  
The man snorted. "You have no reason to worry about them. I think you should worry more about yourself than anything.  
  
"Why should I?" Vyse asked. Something down in his gut told him that something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong....  
  
"Let's just say you'll find out later." The man opened a door, shoving Vyse inside. Vyse looked around. It looked almost like an operating room, only different. And more high-tech. As the man gestured to the table, the little pit of worry in his stomach grew larger. "Sit there."  
  
Vyse shook his head. "I have no idea what you're going to do."  
  
"Come on, brat. We won't do anything. I just thought you would like to sit."  
  
Vyse glared at him. "I'll be fine standing, thank you."  
  
The man shrugged. "Suit yourself. Just hang tight here for a few minutes, okay?" He walked by him, turning at the last second to chop Vyse in the neck. "Sorry kid. This would've gone a lot smoother if you had just done as you were told." Vyse crumbled to the floor in an unconscious heap. The man picked him up and laid him on the bed, then left the room to find his boss.  
  
-------  
  
Aika opened her eyes quickly, sitting up. "Where am I?" she asked.  
  
A groan came from beside her. Aika looked down, noticing Fina was also lying in the bed with her. Fina's eyes fluttered open, taking in her surroundings. "What happened?"  
  
"I don't know," Aika replied, looking around. The room was extremely plain, but there was something familiar about it that she just couldn't put her finger on...  
  
Fina gasped. "This looks like one of the rooms at the Great Silver Shrine!"  
  
Aika looked around. "You're right... it does look like your room, doesn't it? Does that mean that we're at the Great Silver Shrine?"  
  
"I don't think so... the air... it's different... it's not artificial... it's real."  
  
Aika chewed her lip. "Well, that still leaves us with a couple of big problems.... where are we, how did we get here, and what happened?"  
  
Fina opened her mouth to respond when the door was thrown open. "Ah, I see you two girls are up. Lovely."   
  
The girls looked up at the man. He had silverish blonde hair, like Fina, and wore dark armor, and a long black cape. Behind him were two guards, carrying a limp form between them. Aika gasped. "Vyse! What have you done to him?"  
  
"Calm down," the man said. "He's just unconscious." The two guards threw Vyse at the base of the bed. "Are you two girls hungry?"  
  
Aika was caught off guard at the question. "Um... I could eat."  
  
"Fine. I'll have someone bring you food in a few moments." He bowed, then retreated with the three guards outside of the room. The moment the door closed, Aika hopped out of the bed, rushing over to Vyse. She slung one of his arms over her shoulder, carrying him to the bed. She laid him down next to Fina, then sat beside him.   
  
"Do you think he'll wake up soon?"  
  
Aika shrugged. "I don't know."  
  
"We could always use Riselem...."  
  
Aika nodded. "I've never perfected it.... you go ahead and try."  
  
Vyse chose that time to groan. "I'm alright...." He tried to push himself up from the bed, only to fall back down. "I'm just really, really tired."  
  
Fina put a hand on his head, stroking his hair. "What did they do to you?"  
  
"I don't know. I was unconscious for a while, and when I woke up, I was being carried to this room. Whatever happened completely drained me of my energy."  
  
"Do you even know where we are?"  
  
Vyse shook his head. "No... I looked around when I was outside, and all I could see was the sky... I couldn't even see a moon..."  
  
Aika frowned. "This could be a problem... does anyone remember what happened? Because I was caught completely unawares."  
  
Fina nodded. "Yes. We were in Maramba, walking back to the docks from then inn, and-"  
  
"-someone obviously came behind us and clonked us on the head," Vyse finished. "Next thing I knew, I was on the deck of a ship, bound hand and foot. Then there was this guy, different from the one you just saw, and he led me to this room. Then he knocked me out for a while. You know the rest."  
  
Fina clutched her hands against her heart. "Do you think that whoever kidnapped us will let us go?"  
  
Aika leaned back against the headboard. "Are you kidding? Vyse is the probably the most wanted man in all of Arcadia! How much do you want to bet that our kidnappers are some stupid Black Pirates that just want to say they killed Vyse?"  
  
"You have a point..."  
  
Vyse tries once again to push himself up. "Wow... I feel like sleeping for a year..."  
  
"Tough luck, Vyse. We're going to get out of here!"  
  
He looked at his childhood friend skeptically. "And how do you propose that? We have no ship, and we don't even know where we are."  
  
Aika smiled. "That's easy. A ship like this is bound to have some lifeboats. We can sneak on one, and go to the nearest island we find. As to where we are, well, we know where everything is. If you head in either direction, we're sure to run into someplace we are familiar with. We can find our way back home from there. Knowing the crew, they've probably taken the ship back to Crescent Isle when we didn't come back... either that, or they're still at Maramba... how long have we been here?"  
  
"Aika, we told you everything we knew. We could have been here for maybe a week or something, I don't know."  
  
She tapped her chin. "Well.... it doesn't matter. We can still go home. All we'll have to do is sneak around a bit."  
  
Vyse smashed his face into a pillow. "Whatever. You two can go on without me. I'm going to go to sleep..."  
  
"Vyse! You can't go to sleep on us! We need-" But it was too late. He was already snoring softly. Aika groaned. "Great. Just perfect. We can't get out of here without him."  
  
Fina started to stroke his hair again. "I... I must admit, though, Aika, the plan sounds somewhat.... risky. We haven't seen anything but the inside of this room. We don't know how large this ship is, and what'll happen if we get lost?"  
  
Aika flopped back down on the bed. "I guess you're right... we really have no choice, do we? Our weapons have been stripped of us, and now we're stuck here, waiting for whatever happened to Vyse to probably happen to us. I guess we are really stuck here..."  
  
The door opened again to reveal the same man who had delivered Vyse, along with the same guards, who were carrying trays with bowls on them, steam rising from the dishes. The man's eyes narrowed. "So, he's asleep, eh? I guess that's to be expected." He smiled charmingly at the two girls, bowing slightly. "I brought soup for you two." He turned his head slightly to look at his guards, and, as if that was the cue they were waiting for, they marched up to opposite sides of the bed, placing the trays onto the girls' laps. Aika caught the scent of Grule, and smiled. Though a grotesque fish, it had to be her favorite. The man noticed her smile and chuckled. "I suggest you eat every last drop of the soup. You'll need your energy for this trip, I feel." He bowed again, the charming smile still on his face. Aika and Fina couldn't help but blush slightly. He turned, walking out of sight. The guards followed him, and the door closed, blocking all view.  
  
Aika sighed, staring down at her soup. "It smells so good..."  
  
Fina nodded, wincing. "We shouldn't eat it, though. Who knows what's in it?"  
  
Aika looked around the room, spotting a little round window on the wall that was open. "It would be rude to just leave the soup in the bowl." She took both of the girls' bowls and dumped the soup out of the window. She placed the now empty bowls back on the trays, setting the trays by the door. "Well, there goes our food."  
  
"We shouldn't eat anything that is offered to us..." Fina stated sullenly.   
  
Aika nodded. "You're right. Even if it means starving ourselves. Though," she glanced at the sleeping Vyse. "In his condition, I'm not sure starving would be a good idea."  
  
Fina started to stroke Vyse's hair again. "Silver moon... please, keep us save..." -------  
  
Vyse awoke abruptly. The room was dark, but he could make out the sleeping forms of his two female companions. 'I must have slept the day away,' he thought. His stomach growled loudly, demanding that it be fed. Slowly, as to not disturb the girls, he got off of the bed. He felt his way to the door, groaning when he found that it was locked. "Dammit," he cursed as his stomach grumbled once more. "Open, you stupid door."  
  
Suddenly, white sparks flew from the doorknob, and the door opened slightly. Vyse blinked, but decided to make use of the situation. He opened the door a bit more and looked around. When he spotted no one, he opened the door all the way and stepped out into the hall. He chose a random direction and followed it, hoping that he would find the galley somewhere. The growling of his stomach grew louder and occurred much more frequently as he wandered the halls. "Damn... where is the kitchen, for crying out loud?"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Vyse turned around, spotting one of the guards that worked on the ship. The guard hurriedly tried to make his way towards him. "Crap," Vyse muttered as he began to run in the opposite direction.  
  
"Hey, stop!" The guard was now sprinting towards Vyse. "How'd you get out of your room? Did you hear me? Stop this instant!"  
  
But that only encouraged Vyse to run faster. 'This has just been my lucky day,' he thought bitterly. 'Being kidnapped, having something strange happen to me when I was unawares, and now, I can't even get a bite to eat.'  
  
He was tackled at an intersection by four other guards. Vyse vainly struggled as the guards weighed him down, bounding his arms and legs with a type of rope that felt as if it was burning off his flesh. He cried out in pain, causing the guards to back away quickly. Vyse looked down at his wrists, trying not to cry out again. The rope was silver, with little specks of gold intertwined in it. 'What the hell is this?' he thought, biting his lip in pain. Somewhere in the background he heard the guards conversing.  
  
"How did he escape?"  
  
"Didn't we lock the door?"  
  
"I know it was locked! I did it myself!"  
  
"A better question is why didn't he stop when we commanded?"  
  
"You're right. Didn't the captain say that he would obey our orders?"  
  
"Well, it was the first experiment we did. There are obviously some glitches we haven't worked out yet."  
  
"That's not good. With this guy on the loose, our whole lives are in danger."  
  
"Our lives? That's not the worst of it. Let's just say he could probably destroy a good sized island."  
  
"Think what would happen if all six of our experiments work out?"  
  
"The captain is one suave man."  
  
Someone kicked Vyse in the side- hard. 'Great,' he thought. 'I'll just add broken bones to the bruise on the back of my neck and the new burns that I'm going to have.' "Worthless brat," the guard said. "Shouldn't someone go get the captain?"  
  
"No need. I am here."  
  
Vyse craned his neck up, glancing at the man that had appeared. He couldn't see the man's face, but he recognized that black armor and cape. Vyse struggled to move his hands apart, but only resulted in burning himself more. The man looked down at Vyse at his cry of pain. "How did you get out of your room?"  
  
"Why?" Vyse retorted out of clenched teeth. "Why should you care? And what's this experiment you where talking about? What have you done to me?"  
  
The man ignored his comments, turning to one of the guards. "Go inspect the door. My guess is that he broke the lock. And make sure that those two girls haven't woken up. I don't want them escaping, either."  
  
"Hey, jerk! Answer my question!"  
  
The man looked back down at him. "Your name is Vyse, correct?"  
  
"Answer my questions first!"  
  
The man nodded. "So then, Vyse. What were you trying to accomplish by leaving your room? Escaping? Jumping overboard? Tell me when I'm getting warm."  
  
Vyse growled. It looked like that only way he could get information out of this guy was to succumb to his wants. "I was trying to find my way to the galley. How about we strike a deal? You untie me and give me something to eat, and I'll answer all of your questions."  
  
The man chuckled. "I don't see any harm in it. But know this: Those ropes that are tied on your ankles and wrists? All of my men carry whips made out of that same exact material. Should you even blink the wrong way, I'll have them whip you until your whole body is covered in burns. Are we clear?"  
  
Vyse nodded. "Just get me out of these things."  
  
At a glance from the man in black armor, one of the guards came forward, cutting the ropes that bound Vyse with a small pocket knife. Vyse looked sullenly at the burn marks that were left. They still throbbed slightly, and he thought he could see some blood well up at different spots. Sighing, he got to his feet, wincing at the sharp pain that spread through his ankles.   
  
The man took no notice of Vyse's pain, but instead walked right past him. "We'll go to my cabin, and one of my servants will prepare a meal for you. Then we can talk turkey."  
  
Vyse looked down at the ground. "Whatever" 'What in six moons have I gotten myself into?'  
  
------  
  
And... cut! That's it. Pretty good, eh? It took me so long just to finish it... I feel good about it. But something tells me the plot is a little... strange... but hey, I don't care! Like I said, I may end up deleting this. But I still do not care!  
  
I had to play the game again just so that I could remember the basics of this story (actually it's on right now in front of me. Just defeated that blue Gigas.... Bluehiem? Yeah, that sounds right.) It's been so long since I played. I was really worried that I would get some of the names messed up, but I don't really care right now. I guess I'm just lazy like that.  
  
Please review! 


	2. Chapter Two

Oooootay. I might as well start this story now. I wonder if I can finish this in one night?   
  
I really should be working on my other stories, but you know how you just have to leave stories alone for a while before you can do anything? Yeah, that's what I'm doing. Though I might finish this first.  
  
-------  
  
To say that Vyse ate quickly would have been the understatement of the century. Vyse practically gobbled up every item of food in under five second. There were different dishes from every country under the moons. For a prisoner, it was a bit extravagant, but Vyse didn't pay any attention to that. The man in the black armor just watched Vyse eat, a crooked smile on his face. Only when Vyse had slowed down from inhaling the food to merely munching did he say something. "Vyse, tell me, how did you escape your room?"  
  
Vyse shrugged. "Don't know. I tried to open it, but it was locked. Then, all of a sudden, it kinda exploded, and the door opened. I just counted my blessings and tried to find the kitchens."  
  
"The doorknob exploded?" He raised an eyebrow skeptically.   
  
Vyse nodded. "I don't know how, but that's what happened. Silverish, white sparks."   
  
"Silverish, white sparks," he echoed. "I wonder..."  
  
"Wonder what? That reminds me, why don't you tell me what's going on? Why have you kidnapped me and my friends? What are your motives?"  
  
The man chuckled. "All in due time, Vyse. You'll find out sooner or later. Tell me, Vyse, was the only reason you ventured outside your room to find some food?"  
  
Vyse put a small piece of fish in his mouth, shaping his words around the fish. "Well, I thought that maybe I could look around a bit, but my mind was on food more than anything else."  
  
"I see..." He poured some loqua into two goblets, handing one to Vyse. "Here, drink. I think that this is the best brand of loqua under all six moons."  
  
Vyse took the goblet hesitantly. Now that he was fed, his senses had come back to him. Drinks were the most common placed to find poisons or potions. He swished the liquid around in the cup, looking for some powder on the sides, or maybe some oil floating on top. The man laughed. "Do not worry, Vyse. It is not poisoned. I have no need for poison on my ship."  
  
He looked up, staring at the man. "You know my name, shouldn't I know yours?"  
  
The man nodded. "I usually go by the name Nylas."  
  
"Nylas... I have a few questions for you myself."  
  
Nylas grinned. "I might answer them. Depends on the question."  
  
"You know the first question."  
  
"You still wish to know why you are here?"  
  
Vyse nodded. "I still don't see how you can benefit from capturing us. I'm not wanted anywhere that I can think of anymore. Unless you're a Black Pirate, I'm really of no use to you."  
  
Nylas chuckled. "Vyse, correct me if I'm wrong, but you are the one who defeated numerous of the Gigas, and found all six moon crystals?"  
  
"Yeah, that's me."  
  
He took a sip of his loqua, smirking at Vyse. "Then you are of much use to me."  
  
Vyse opened his mouth to ask a question. "Quiet," Nylas hissed. The question lay unborn in Vyse's throat. As hard as he tried, no noise would come from his mouth. Nylas smirked again. "I know what you're getting ready to ask, Vyse. Why are you of so much use to me? You are a smart boy, I am sure you can figure it out after I tell you my story."  
  
He stood, his back facing Vyse. "That girl... Fina was her name? She's a Silvite, isn't she?"  
  
Vyse nodded, still struggling with his throat. Nylas took another sip of his loqua. "Thought so. One could see that from her clothes. It is nice to see another Silvite after such a long time."  
  
Vyse's eyes widened in surprise, causing Nylas to chuckle. "Yes, you heard me right, Vyse. Everyone on this ship is a Silvite. Haven't you ever wondered why the only Silvites on the Great Silver Shrine were the elders, Rameriz and Fina? Where did the rest of them go?" He chuckled again, swishing his drink around. "That is a long story, but I think I'll let you ask the questions. Go ahead, Vyse, speak."  
  
The noises that Vyse had struggled to make came out in one strangled croak. He clutched his throat, eyes wide in fear and confusion. "How did you do that?"  
  
Nylas smirked. "Surely that is not the most important question on your list, Vyse? I refuse to answer that question at the moment."  
  
"Okay..." Vyse thought for a moment, still holding his throat. "How did the Silvites come down here to Arcadia? Why did you come?"  
  
"We came for the same reason Fina and Rameriz did. To retrieve the Moon Crystals. Rameriz wasn't the first person to volunteer for the job. There's a whole island of us, shipwrecked and stuck in this place. We learned to cope with the ways of your people, but the Silvite island doesn't like a lot of company. Besides, we've heard the things the elders say about you people. You can't be trusted."  
  
"That's only some of the people in Arcadia!" Vyse protested. "You have no right to just say that about everyone!"  
  
Nylas snorted in a dignified fashion. "Whatever you say, Vyse. Would you like to know how you come in?"  
  
Vyse glared at him. "You read my mind."  
  
He laughed, sipping at his loqua again. "Vyse, your name is spoken under all six moons, along with your legend. Of course, it reached our island, as isolated as it is. We knew that the Gigases where dangerous, but they were valuable pieces of technology that no one can begin to comprehend now. To hear that you, just a measly human with your friends and your ship, had defeated the Gigases, well, you can imagine the rage we felt. Take Blueheim for example. Laying lifelessly, so badly damaged and no way to fix it."  
  
"So what? You plan on taking revenge on me back just taking me captive? Planning to execute me or something?"  
  
Nylas nodded. "Yes, that was our original plan, but we thought of something better. The Silvites have more knowledge than the humans that were born here in Arcadia. Our scientists thought of a way to... recreate the Gigases, in a way. We had the necessary power in our hands, in the form of a liquid." He walked over to a trunk that seemed to act as a desk. Papers and books were scattered over it, so that you couldn't see the top.   
  
Nylas kicked the trunk, and it opened. It surprised Vyse when none of the books or papers fell off, when he realized that they were only acting as misleads, making the trunk look unimportant to anyone. Nylas dug through the trunk for a moment before taking out two small vials. He turned, showing them to Vyse. One was filled with a green liquid, the other filled with a red liquid.   
  
"These liquids contain the power of the Green moon and the Red moon. These two, along with the Silver moon, are the only ones that we have been able to create so far, though they are all we need."  
  
"So where's the Silver moon one?" Vyse asked, rubbing the burns on his wrists. They still stung a bit to the touch, but they were healing.  
  
Nylas laughed. "Let me tell you about these, Vyse. In the form that they are in, they will do nothing. It's as useless as water. But the awesome powers of these things will be released once introduced to a living vessel. Such as a human." Nylas placed the vials on the table. "There are still many bugs to work out in the experiment, but I feel that with maybe a few more tries, we can create the perfect living Gigas."  
  
Vyse blinked. "I don't get it. What bugs do you have to work out? Where do my friends and I come in?"  
  
"Vyse, don't you get it?" Nylas laughed. "You and your friends will pay for destroying the Gigases. Lets see you try to destroy the Gigases when their power runs through your blood."  
  
Vyse's eyes grew wide in realization. 'Oh crap....'  
  
------  
  
Aika groaned. "God, I am so hungry..."  
  
Fina nodded. "I am too, Aika..."  
  
"Maybe they didn't spike our food? Maybe they just wanted us to eat."  
  
Fina nodded again, the only move she was capable of doing because of her hungry.  
  
"I wonder where Vyse is. He just disappeared. Wasn't even there when we woke up."  
  
There was a knock on the door, catching the attention of both girls. "Come in," Aika called out, tucking her knees to her chest.  
  
The door opened to reveal a somewhat annoyed Vyse, but, more importantly, the tray of food that was in his hands. Aika hopped up, smiling brightly. "Yay! Food!"  
  
Vyse sighed, placing the tray on the bed. On it was two plates of nice hot fish, spiced to perfection. Next to each fish was a glass of loqua. Aika smiled brighter. "Wow! Whoever cooked this really outdone themselves! The spices smells so strong."  
  
Fina nodded, also smiling. The smile faded a moment later. "Are the spices so strong as to hide the drugs that they used?"  
  
Aika's smile disappeared. "You're probably right."  
  
Vyse shook his head. "Don't worry. I watched as they made it. It's not spiked with anything. There was a third fish that I ate, actually. Dig in."  
  
Aika needed no second bidding. She plunged right into the fish, with almost the same ferocity that Vyse had when he ate his meal. He couldn't help but smile at her crazed eating. When he noticed that Fina hadn't touched her food he looked at her. She was staring at him with a perplexed look. "What's wrong, Fina? Better eat it before it gets cold."  
  
She looked down at the fish, then back at Vyse. "You're... different. What happened while you were gone?"  
  
Vyse gulped, taken back by the question. Even Aika paused her eating to look up at him. "She's right, Vyse," she said, putting down her fork. "There is something different about you. I can't really place it, but it's there."  
  
Vyse looked down at the tray, fighting an inner battle. Suddenly, he looked at Aika. "You didn't drink the loqua, did you?"  
  
She shook her head. Vyse sighed in relief, taking both glasses in his hands. He went over to the small window, pouring the liquid out, throwing the glasses out along with it. "It was spiked with a sleeping potion," he explained, leaning against the wall, suddenly very tired. The burns on his wrists started to throb, and he rubbed the spot anxiously.   
  
Aika looked down, gasping when she saw the burns. "Vyse! What happened?"  
  
He shrugged. "Long story."  
  
Fina was still in shock over the fact that Vyse would almost give them a spiked drink. "Vyse?"  
  
He looked at her. "Hm?"  
  
"What happened to you? Why are you like this?"  
  
Vyse averted his eyes, looking at the corner of the room. A small bubble of anger rose in him, but he forced it down. "I... I can't say."  
  
"Why not, Vyse?" Fina pleaded. "Don't you trust us?"  
  
Vyse rubbed his burn more. "I trust you, it's just... I can't say." He sighed. "Eat. I can personally tell you that the chef on this ship is a wonderful, a brilliant man." He smiled. "If you don't want it, then I'll eat it."  
  
Once again Aika began to eat, not questioning Vyse at all. Fina gave him a long stare, but decided to take one bite of the fish.  
  
Vyse was right. The chef was brilliant. She started to eat with the same ferocity as Aika, only a tab bit slower.  
  
------  
  
Vyse's eyes flew open as he heard the footsteps that were approaching the door. He scrambled from his spot on the wall, sitting on the edge of the bed where the two girls were chatting away about something or another. "Pretend to be asleep," he said in a low hiss. The girls gave him confused looks, but quickly shut their eyes, leaning against the pillows just as the door opened.   
  
Nylas smiled. "Good. I see you did as you were told."  
  
Vyse sneered at him. "Just like you said, not one drop of the drink was left."  
  
"Excellent. We'll take the red-head first. Vyse, I'll leave you the honors of carrying her."   
  
Vyse sighed as he scooped Aika up in his arms. She opened one eye slightly to looking up at him. He refused to meet her eye. "Lead the way, Nylas. I just want to get this over with."  
  
"Do not worry, Vyse. Nothing will happen to her. I just want to maybe run some tests on her first. Eliminate the chance that the experiment will not function properly like yours did."  
  
Aika's curiosity was aroused now. What experiment? Why was Vyse following this man's orders so readily? She closed her eyes again as Vyse carried her out into the hall.   
  
Vyse let the others get far ahead of him as he walked with Aika. "You can't let them catch you," he whispered. Aika opened one eye completely. "I'm going to let you go in a few seconds. Find your way to a lifeboat, then head south. You'll reach Yafutoma soon. Fina and I will catch up with you later."  
  
"What will happen to you?" She whispered back. Vyse smiled wryly.  
  
"Nylas will probably just bring out those cursed ropes of his. Don't worry about me. I'll bring Fina safely. But whatever you do, don't leave Yafutoma. Stay under the protection of the King and Prince."  
  
"How do you know where we are?"  
  
Nylas looked back at Vyse, frowning. "Pick up the pace, Vyse. We'll have to get there sooner or later, prolonging the journey isn't going to make things better."  
  
Vyse glared at him. "I'll go as fast as I want, thank you very much."  
  
They came to an intersection, and Vyse pretended to stumble. He sank to his knees, placing Aika on the floor. Nylas stopped, glaring at Vyse now. "What's wrong now?"  
  
"It's these damned burns..." he rubbed his wrists, wincing as they began to throb for real. "I think she rubbed against them the wrong way."  
  
"You're a strong lad, endure the pain. Besides, it's nothing compared to the whips that my men carry. Now pick her up and let's get going."  
  
Aika hopped up, quickly ducking around a corner. "Hey!" Nylas took a step forward as if to stop her, but she was already long gone. He smiled at Vyse. "The lifeboats?"  
  
Vyse shrugged. "Yeah. The lifeboats."  
  
"Yafutoma?"  
  
Vyse nodded, eyes closed in frustrated obedience. "Yeah."  
  
Nylas chuckled. "Good. Now for phase two of our plan."  
  
------  
  
"Damn... where are the damn lifeboats?" Aika muttered as she snuck around another corner. "If I don't get out of here fast, that wacko's guards will find me sooner or later." She ran down the hall, pressing herself against the wall as she turned another corner...  
  
... and bumped right into Fina.  
  
"Fina? What are you doing here?"   
  
Fina blushed. "You were taking so long, and I got worried, so I came to find you." She looked at the walls. "Besides, I can find my way around this type of ship."  
  
Aika's brow furrowed. "Really? How?"  
  
Fina pressed a hand against the wall, tracing a line. "This is made with Silvite technology. Every large Silvite ship has built in maps on the walls, because the ships are built like labyrinths." She looked back at Aika. "Remember the Great Silver Shrine?"  
  
Aika nodded. "Yeah. So you're telling me that just by looking at these lines, you can figure out where the lifeboats are?" When Fina looked at her confused she continued. "That creep that kidnapped us is planning this psycho experiment, and we're the test subjects. Vyse told me to run and find lifeboats, so here I am, wondering around lost. Think you can help?"  
  
Fina nodded, looking back at the wall. She traced a line, turning back the way she came. "This way," she said as she ran off.  
  
Aika smiled, following her friend. "Now we're getting somewhere."  
  
-------  
  
Vyse opened the door to the empty room, looking around in confusion. "Where did she...?" Sighing, he closed the door, going down the halls to Nylas's room. He walked in without knocking. "Fina left, too," he announced. Nylas looked up from the book he was reading.  
  
"What do you mean she left?"  
  
Vyse sighed. "I mean, she's not in her room. Chances are she met up with Aika and they're probably going to the lifeboats right now."  
  
Nylas frowned. "Pity. I was going to have fun with her for a while before I sent her after Aika. But I bet you're happy."  
  
Vyse glared at him. "I don't know. I'm happy that's one more twisted idea that I don't have to carry through, I'm not happy about the fact that your insane plan has been sped up by this."  
  
Nylas stood from his position on his bed, laughing. "Insane, am I?"  
  
"You and your whole Silvite colony are insane."  
  
"Temper, temper, Vyse. I can work with this little flaw. Those two girls are probably pushing off as we speak. I'll give them two more days, maybe three, and then I'll allow you to go after them. I suggest you spend your days in the room, practicing your techniques. You'll need to have them perfected by the time you're sent after them." Vyse nodded sullenly, leaving the room. He leaned against the wall, looking down at the floor.   
  
"Why me?"  
  
-------  
  
Dee End! Of the chapter, not the whole story. Don't worry. I'm not that cold. Okay, I decided to put out two chapters, and then work on Shivers. I'll alternate chapters. I'll update a Shivers, then a Gigas, then Shivers, then Gigas, etc, etc.   
  
Please review. 


	3. Chapter Three

Yay to my reviewers! I noticed them the night I started this chapter. Yay!  
  
So, how do you say that this story is going totally different from how you planned it? Well, guess I just said it. All of my stories do that for some reason. And the thing is, I have the power to control them, and yet, they get out of my hands. Huh.  
  
Aika1- What happened to Why Demons Returned? Someone reported it cause of chapter three, and they took it off. That's what happened. So don't expect the lemon in that category again. I'm going to prolong writing it, just because I have three ideas I want to put up and finish. This one, one for Inuyasha, and one for Spiderman. Though I might not do the Spiderman one just yet. I want to finish Shivers and Denial, but... they're stubborn stories.   
  
------  
  
"Welcome, Westerners!" The king of Yafutoma smiled largely at the two girls. (A/N: I can not remember his name for the life of me...) "Please, feel free to stay as long as you want!"  
  
Aika smiled. "Thanks. We don't know how long we'll be staying, seeing as we're waiting for a friend of ours. You remember Vyse?"  
  
"How could I forget? Brown haired one with the scar, great captain!"  
  
Fina grinned. "Where is your son, Your Highness?"  
  
"Ah, that boy is probably frolicking with the Tenkou again. Can't sit still if it would save his life!"  
  
"Well, it's good that he's active. A worldly prince will make a good king." Aika yawned. "I'm beat. Fina, how about we take a nap before we get something to eat at the tavern?"  
  
"That sounds great." Fina bowed one last time to the king before leaving with Aika.  
  
The two entered the guest house silently. Aika sat down on the futon, rushed by a wave of worry. "I wonder if Vyse is alright?"  
  
Fina sat at the table. "Yes... he should have come with us..."  
  
"He said something about bringing out some ropes once they found out that he had helped us escape. Does that mean whips? And what was with those burns that were on his wrists?"  
  
"And his ankles," Fina added. "In the exact spots that someone would have bound him. My guess is that these ropes burn."  
  
Aika's expression turned confused. "Ropes that burn? Unless they're on fire, I don't see how they could...? Maybe Vyse will tell us everything when he gets here. I have a feeling that he knows something that we don't..."  
  
"Like he's keeping something from us."  
  
"Yeah. Something like that." Aika laid back on the futon. "He'll tell us... If I know Vyse, he'll tell us everything. Eventually..."  
  
------  
  
"Are you sure you understand?"  
  
Vyse sighed, nodding. "I understand, Nylas, now can I leave? The sooner I get off of this ship the better."  
  
Nylas chuckled. "Then go. Remember, not too soon and not too late."  
  
"I got it! Let me go in peace, goodness." Vyse shoved the lifeboat so that it was almost out of the ship and then jumped in. The lifeboat tilted with his weight, falling out of the ship.   
  
"Remember to use a r-"  
  
"Nylas, for Christ's sake, shut up!"  
  
Vyse ignored the chuckle from Nylas, steering the boat to the south. 'Yafutoma,' he thought. 'Of all places for an ominous plan to begin. The peaceful eastern city.'  
  
It took no time at all to reach the water city, and he docked quickly and quietly. He entered the city, surprised to see his two friends sitting on the red fence, talking. He sighed before forcing a smile on his face, walking up to the girls who had yet to notice him. "Hey!" he called out, waving as the girls turned to look in his direction.   
  
Aika smiled widely. "Vyse!" She ran up to him, giving him one of her neck hugs. Fina also came up to him, smiling. "We were so worried about you!"  
  
"Aw, you guys, you know that I could handle it. Just a few measly guards. Oh, Aika," he gestured to the docks. "Your boomerang is on the lifeboat if you want to go get it."  
  
"It can wait! I'm just glad you're here with us!"  
  
Vyse smiled. "I'm glad to be back here, too. Away from those lunatics."  
  
Vyse had to admit, it was nice to see his friends without the ever constant presence of the Silvites around him. But there was still an aching in his heart when he thought about the extended reach that Nylas had on him. He sighed, thinking about what Nylas had wanted him to do. 'I'll just stall as long as I can,' he thought. 'Right now, I'm just going to enjoy the freedom of the open skies.'  
  
"I'm starving," he said. Actually, he wasn't, but it was getting awkward just standing there with one girl practically in tears and another girl hugging the life out of him. Aika immediately let go of him, grabbing his hand.  
  
"Why didn't you say so sooner? Come on, let's go to the tavern. I'm in the mood for those dumplings!"  
  
Vyse let Aika lead him, noticing the tight grip she had on his hand but decided not to say anything about it. The trio made their way across the water to the tavern, sitting at one of the tables. Finally, Aika let go of his hand when she made her way to one of the benches, sitting beside Fina. The bench on the opposite side of the table was empty, and obviously meant for him. "I'll go order," he said. "What do you want?"  
  
The girls told Vyse what they wanted and let him go order. They exchanged glances, lowering their voices to a whisper. "He act's normal enough."  
  
Fina nodded. "He seemed kinda sad though, for a quick moment."  
  
"What could have made him sad? Did he not want to come back with us or something?"  
  
"I don't know. But it's easy to see that he's keeping something from us."  
  
"We'll just have to crack it out of him."  
  
"How will we do that?"  
  
Aika smiled. "Using the skills of intimidation that women were born with, Fina. We'll attack at night, once he's all settled in and almost asleep. That's when his tongue is loose, and he'll let anything slip."  
  
Fina nodded. "O- okay."   
  
"What are you two girls talking about?" Vyse said, appearing suddenly beside them. The two jumped, blushing. "Nothing at all, Vyse! Just some girl talk. Rumors going around the city, things like that."  
  
Vyse raised an eyebrow but said nothing more, placing the tray with the food on the table. Aika took a bite out of her dumpling, watching as Vyse started to eat the noodle soup. 'Everything seems different about him, in some way or another. I mean, it's the same Vyse, but... different... Argh, now I'm confusing myself.'  
  
Vyse felt the heat of Aika's stare and looked up. "What?"  
  
"Nothing. Just thinking."  
  
He nodded, choosing not to ask what she happened to be thinking about. His fingers where a bit clumsy after not using the chopsticks for a while, but he quickly got the hang of it and started to eat the noodles. He concentrated on his meal for a few moments before he felt another pair of eyes on him. He looked up. Fina and Aika were both staring at him with perplexed looks on their faces. Sighing, he set his chopsticks down. "What are you two staring at me for?"  
  
Fina blushed. "I was just... um..." she trailed off.  
  
"Just thinking," mumbled Aika, still staring at him.   
  
Vyse frowned. "Thinking about what? If there's anything thing I can do to get you to stop staring at me, just tell me, cause its really uncomfortable."  
  
"We're sorry, Vyse," Fina said, looking down at her lap. "It's just that... you're different somehow."  
  
Vyse's eyes widened in shock. "Different?" he echoed, thinking, 'Does it show that much?'  
  
Aika nodded. "Yes. It's really hard to place it, but it's obvious you've gone through some sort of change. We're just wondering what could have happened."  
  
Vyse looked down at his soup. "How am I different?"  
  
Fina and Aika looked at each other. Aika shrugged. "I don't know. There's really no word to describe it."  
  
"You look.... you don't seem..."  
  
"You don't seem to be as grounded as you were before," Aika said. "You look more graceful, cooler, something like that."  
  
Vyse picked up his chopsticks again. "Really? Well, I can't remember anything that would have made me different. Are you sure it isn't just your imaginations getting away with you?"  
  
The girls looked at each other again. "Are you sure you don't feel the slightest bit different?"  
  
"Of course I feel different. You never feel the same way twice. Now, here's the plan. We're going to ask the king if we can borrow a ship. A small one, but a ship nonetheless. Then, we can go above the clouds, and make our way back to Crescent Isle. Hopefully we won't run into any trouble on the way. How does that sound?"  
  
Fina nodded. "That sounds good, I guess."  
  
Aika sighed, disappointed that Vyse had changed the subject. "That's alright with me."  
  
"Great. Then we can do it tomorrow? I just want to relax right now." He went back to his meal, eating vigorously. Aika munched on another dumpling, trying not to stare at him. 'How can he not realize that he seems so.... depressed?' she thought. 'Even when he's smiling, it's like he's constantly thinking about something that makes him feel... guilty, almost.'  
  
------  
  
Yeah. I know that was pretty short, but I want to get it out as fast as I can. I'm going to have a lot of time to work on my other chapters, though, next week. I'm going on vacation with my folks. Not really excited about it, but do I have a choice? No. I want to go to England, but do I have a choice? No. I want a cat, but do I have a choice? No. Grr. I guess it's like that for almost every family though, so I can't complain.   
  
Please review. 


	4. Chapter Four

I can't remember who it was, but someone guessed what happened through a form of communication. I like making people think, you know? It's fun. Suspense is nice. I never knew I was so good at it. I used to get a few reviews that say I should use more detail. But know, I use little detail and have a good suspense story with cliff hangers throughout the whole thing.  
There are two reasons as to why I haven't updated in a while. One is because my internet doesn't like fanfiction and wouldn't let me log in, so I had to wait so that it could finish it's temper tantrum. The second reason is because I was on a family vacation without the internet to begin with. So please, don't be mad at me. I did nothing wrong. But have a lot of fun with this guy.............. ahem.... how about we get to the story, shall we?  
-  
"Man, I'm so tired," Vyse said as he leaned back on his futon. "I feel like I haven't slept for ages."  
Aika looked down at him. "Why is that? What have you been doing?"  
The warm rush of exhaustion had started to come over Vyse. He yawned. "Just doing whatever Nylas didn't feel like doing. I swear that man is a spoiled brat."  
"So you were basically serving him?" Fina asked.  
Vyse yawned. "Hate to say it, but yeah." He began to make himself comfortable on the futon. "Why'd he order you to serve him?" asked Aika, trying to get some information out of Vyse.  
"Because he can." Vyse yawned again, his eyes barely open.  
Aika had a hard time comprehending that. Vyse never was the type of person who would obey someone without a good reason. "Why can he order you around?"  
"He told me-" Vyse yawned, "not to tell anyone.... about..." he trailed off as his head rolled to the side and he began to sleep. Aika looked at Fina.  
"Great. Now we have another mystery on our hands."  
Fina sighed. "I don't think he'll ever tell us anything."  
Aika lay back on her own futon. "Maybe he'll tell us tomorrow. The whole sleep thing was very risky, anyways. Her friend nodded, also laying down. "Tomorrow..."  
-  
Vyse sighed, looking over the water. The plan was that they would ask the king for a small ship, maybe just a fisherman's boat or something, strong enough to go through rifts. They would make the journey back to Crescent Isle, and be reunited with the others. Then they'd continue to go on with their pirating activities.  
'Then I'll have to do what Nylas wants me to do,' he thought bitterly. Every time he thought of Nylas a ping of hatred ran through him, which was completely understandable. Vyse shook his head, trying not to think about any of that. 'Let me just enjoy this freedom while it lasts,' he thought as he heard activity from the city whose occupants had probably just woken up. 'Now, go ask the king now or wait until the girls wake up? Hmm'  
Just as he decided to go and talk to the king, Fina excited the hut, smiling at him. "Good morning, Vyse."  
He smiled. "Morning. Have a nice rest?"  
She nodded. "Yes. How about you? You seemed awfully tired last night."  
He shrugged. "Nothing a good night's sleep couldn't handle. I bet Yafutoma is the only place I can really relax. Besides Crescent Isle, of course."  
Fina smiled. "Yes, Yafutoma is a truly peaceful place. Maybe it's the separation from the rest of the world that steered them towards this peaceful life."  
"Well, kinda hard to be hostile if you have no one to be hostile to," Vyse said, laughing. "Is Aika awake yet?"  
"No, she was still asleep when I came out here."  
Vyse sighed, moving away from the railing. "I'm going to ask the king for a boat. Can you tell Aika where I am if she wakes up?"  
Fina nodded. "Sure thing. Have you eaten anything for breakfast yet?"  
"No. Go ahead and eat without me, not too hungry today. Think I must have stuffed myself silly last night." Fina nodded again, noticing how Vyse averted his eyes as he said that. "I'll tell her..."  
"Thanks, Fina. I'll be back soon." He turned away and started walking the short distance to the palace. The old rush of guilt had started up again as he talked to Fina. She had no idea what in the world what he was going to have to do eventually. He had told himself to just forget it for the moment, but it was impossible. Who could forget what they wanted to do the least? Or better: Who could forget what they dreaded the most?  
-  
Aika sighed, looking out the window at Fina and Vyse just chatting. 'They look so happy together, so calm and relaxed...' It hurt her to look at the couple, but she found she couldn't look away. She was half expecting the two to just start making out right then and there. She could tell when the two first met that there was something between them. And even Aika had to admit there wasn't much to like about Fina. She was sweet and innocent, pretty and mysterious, everything a guy wanted. 'She'd make a perfect wife for Vyse,' she thought bitterly.  
She didn't know if she was more surprised or happier when the two split apart, Vyse going into the city, assumably to the king to ask for a boat. Fina lingered for a moment before turning making her way back to the small house. Aika pulled away from the window just as she stepped in. "Oh, Aika," she said, sounding surprised. "You are awake. I just told Vyse that you weren't."  
"I woke up as you left. Is Vyse going to get a boat?"  
"Yes. Hopefully it's one that can rise above the clouds so we do not have to pass through the rifts. Do you think the king has one that he can spare?"  
Aika shrugged. "If not, we could just ask the Tenkou to give us a lift. I'm sure they'd do it."  
Fina sighed, looking at the floor. "I wish none of this had happened..."  
Aika looked at her friend. "You wish that we had never been kidnapped in the first place?"  
"Yes..."  
She sighed. "I understand, Fina. But we have to count our blessings. At least none of us were hurt, and we're all together. Remember the time we got separated? How we had to raise enough money to buy a boat, and Vyse was stranded on an island? We're in familiar territory now, so there's nothing to worry about."  
Fina nodded. "Yes, you're right about that. I should stop moping around. It's not going to help anything, is it?"  
"That's the spirit! We'll get back home and everything will be A-okay!"  
She smiled at her redheaded best friend. The two sat together in silence for a few minutes, each in their own different thoughts. 'I wonder why Vyse didn't wait for me to wake up before he decided to ask for a boat? Is it because he just doesn't like me? He can't stand to spend time with me anymore? Aika, you're overreacting. You know for a fact that he's been hurt on that ship, you saw his burns. He's probably just in a hurry to get home. Still, it hurts that he wouldn't just wake me up so that all three of us would go together... or do I really want that? Every time I look at Fina and Vyse together, I get so jealous'  
"Well, you two are awfully silent. Especially you, Aika. This is a bad omen."  
The girls looked up at a smiling Vyse. Aika poked her tongue out. "Ha ha. Very funny, Vyse. That was sure quick. You left just a few minutes ago."  
He shrugged, sitting down next to them. "He was eager to give us a boat. There's a boat that is used for messages with other countries, really fast and light, so it can go above the clouds. He'll lend us one as soon as he's sure that there's nothing wrong with it, add more fuel, etc."  
Fina smiled. "So we'll be going home soon."  
Vyse grinned boyishly. "Yeah. Home. Back to Crescent Isle."  
Aika also smiled, brighter than the other's smiles put together. "Yay! I can't wait to get back! I miss Polly's cooking so much! And I can't wait to see everyone!"  
Vyse laughed. "First the food, then the friends?"  
"Of course. Can't greet everybody properly if you're running on empty."  
Fina sighed contently. "I wish to see everyone, too."  
Vyse smiled. "I just want to get behind the wheel of my ship again. Hope the others have been taking care of the decks..."  
Aika laughed. "Vyse, you treat that ship like its porcelain! She'll be alright without you."  
"Don't say that, Aika! The Gypsy is very sensitive and delicate!"  
The Gypsy had been given to Vyse as a gift from New Valua, in return for helping them rebuild their city. She was a large, sturdy ship, equip with the latest, most powerful cannons that had been invented by Valua's labs. And Emperor Enrique had even promised to develop it's own special cannon, though Vyse and the others had been insistent that they didn't have to do that. The cannon hadn't been completed yet, but The Gypsy was still a force to be reckoned with, a force that Vyse loved as if it was his own child.  
"Sensitive and delicate? Vyse, The Gypsy can withstand the most powerful cannon fire!"  
"Even so, she must be handled delicately! I would hate to think what would happen to her if some pressed her too hard..."  
Fina giggled. "It would take more than human strength to be able to press her too hard."  
Vyse grumbled. "Two against one's not fair."  
Aika smiled evilly at him. "So you admit we've won the battle?"  
He looked away, mumbling something under his breath. The girls smiled at each other just as a guard opened the door to the small house. All three looked up at him. "Is the boat ready for us?" Vyse asked.  
The guard bowed in respect. "Yes, sir. The boat is at the docks, ready for departure."  
Vyse stood up, offering his hands down to the girls. "Well, guess we're going home, aren't we?"  
They smiled at him, each of them taking a different hand to pull themselves up. "Finally!" Aika sighed. "Glad this is coming to an end."  
Vyse's smile wavered at that. 'I only wish it was, Aika. I only wish it was'  
-  
There it is. To all those people who told me to update a.s.a.p, here's what I have to say.... "NO!" I'll take my own sweet time, thank you very much! Mwahahahahahaha! I love torture!  
Alright, let me get to work on the next chapter... you guys are lucky that I'm even spending time on fanfiction. I want to get published sometime before I finish school, and I'm spending more time on these fanfics than anything else. Count your blessings that you're even getting these stories, people. I could just leave them and never come back.  
Please review. 


	5. Chapter Five

Okay, let me start this before I get sidetracked again. I'm really hungry right now, but for some reason... well, okay, I know the reason. It's late and I don't feel like going to get something to eat. Might just sleep it off.  
Rednal29- I do not write slow. I actually write quickly, it's just that I have periods of writers block while I try to figure out how I need to connect the events. And twenty words really isn't much. Count the words that I just wrote in this reply. That is number 50 right there. I like to make my chapters somewhat long, so... This chapter came out relatively quickly because right now, actually, I'm on the highway with my parents, maybe twenty miles from home, and the traffic is blocked and there's nothing to do but type on my ibook... too dark to read or anything, don't have enough power on my computer to play a game for more than five minutes.  
-  
Vyse and the others flew back to Crescent Isle, where a warm, if overly excited, welcome awaited them. To celebrate, there was a party at the tavern, with Polly and Urala serving food, Merinda dancing, and a bunch of drunk people just hanging out together, having a good time.  
Vyse smiled, looking at his crew. Everyone seemed content under his power, actually, they seemed happy about it. 'Am I really that a good person that people like Marco are happy to scrub the decks for me?' he thought, chuckling a bit.  
"What's on your mind, cap'n?"  
He came out of his thoughts with a crash. "Uh, nothing, Kirala. Just watching everyone."  
"I see." She stared at him for a moment, curious. "So, what happened to you guys? I asked Aika and Fina, but they couldn't really give me a straight answer."  
"Ah." 'Well, we were kidnaped, and now I'm a little more than just a pawn in Nylas's game, that's what happened.' "We just ran into some trouble, nothing much. Sorry for not alerting you guys, but there really wasn't any time."  
"What kind of trouble?"  
Vyse winced, racking his mind for a suitable answer. 'She's going for the kill...' "Well, there was this bounty that we hadn't planned to go after, but we saw him in action and decided to pursue."  
"I see. Did you catch him?"  
He shrugged, taking a sip of the loqua he had in his hand. "Sorta. We caught him, but he escaped at the last minute. Besides, he had a whole ship behind him, and we were only in that tiny little thing."  
"So he's a Black Pirate?"  
"Not exactly. I'm not too sure he's a pirate. More like a psychopath that has these crazy experiments. I have to admit, he's brilliant in a way, but... it's a De Loco case. Brilliant, but just plain insane."  
Kirala laughed. "Brilliant but insane, eh? So what was this guy's name? De Loco Junior?"  
Vyse chuckled. "I would be terrified if he was named after De Loco, after the trouble that he caused us."  
"Yeah. With De Loco's revengefulness and everything... better watch out, Vyse. These bounty might come after you this time. Did you wreck anything of his?"  
"Besides knocking out a few guards and stealing a couple of lifeboats, no, not really."  
"Well, he probably won't come after you for that. You never answered my question. What's his name?"  
Vyse tensed a bit, feeling that hatred well up again. "Nylas," he muttered, willing his muscles to relax. It worked, but not quickly enough. Kirala noticed the tenseness. "Whoa, guess you must really hate him. So are we going to go after him now?"  
He shook his head. "No. Not yet. I want to think of a plan first... he's a tricky one."  
"I see." Kirala smiled admiringly at him. "Well, I'm sure you'll think of something sooner or later. You're the one who defeated the Gigases a few years ago. After that, I know for a fact that there's nothing you cannot handle. Just let us know when you're going to do something like that again, okay?"  
Vyse smiled. "Thanks Kirala. Don't worry, I'll make sure you guys know." He set his glass of loqua on the table. "Might as well start on that plan right now."  
Kirala looked at him confused. "Now? C'mon, Vyse, you just got back from wherever you were chasing Nylas. Surely it can wait until tomorrow. For now, just celebrate!"  
"No, Kirala. I'm afraid this can't wait..."  
With that, Vyse slipped out of the tavern, unseen by anyone but Kirala. She sighed, sipping at her own glass of loqua. "He's hiding something..."  
-  
The early sunlight was what woke Aika from her sleep. Groaning she placed a hand to her head, feeling the effects of an hangover. 'Note to self: Don't drink so much loqua next time, no matter how much Don gives you.' She shrugged her clothes sleepily. Once she was done, she left her room, surprised to see Vyse's door open slightly. Nervously, she opened the door a bit more, peering inside. The room was devoid of any sign that someone had even lived in it. "Wow," she said under her breath. "When did Vyse become such a neat freak?" She closed his door, wondering where in the world he could be. The sun had only started to rise, and Vyse wasn't known to be an early riser. 'He's changed so much,' she thought, going down the stairs. 'How can he not notice the changes himself'  
She choose the most likely place that he'll be at, and headed towards the flagpole. As she suspected, Vyse was there, watching the sunrise. He didn't seem to notice her arrival, so she just stood there, watching him and the sunrise in turn.  
"You're up early."  
Aika jumped in surprise. How long had he known she was there. "Well, so are you. Restless or something?"  
He grimaced. "Something like that, I guess. Can't sleep at all."  
"You're probably excited over the fact that you get to be on you precious ship again."  
He laughed, though it sounded somewhat forced. "Is that what it is?"  
Aika smiled. "Exactly! I'm pretty sure you'll feel so much better once you're behind the wheel again. Then we can go around the world again and beat up Black Pirates and other scourges, and get gold for it, too!" She clapped her hands in excitement. "We can visit all of the points in the world again, visit the king of Ixa'taka, maybe visit Nasrad- I wonder if they have their bazaar open now? Or we can go to the Lands of Ice and just look at the Aurora, I think it's really beautiful."  
Vyse laughed, this time sounding sincere. "We can do all of that. Besides, not like anyone's going to stop us but a few measly Black Pirates."  
"Great! I can't wait to get on The Gypsy myself. She's such an awesome ship. Turns like a dream."  
"Not to mention she flies better than any other ship in the world. She doesn't even pause for a moment when it comes to rifts or reefs." Vyse's voice swelled with pride as he lost himself in the thought of his wonderful ship.  
Aika laughed. "You love your ship so much, you remind me of De Loco with your fetish."  
"It's not a fetish! And don't compare me with that nut! Remember how De Loco went nuts and plotted for revenge every time we defeated The Chameleon?"  
"Vyse, you get seriously mad every time cannon fire even scratches The Gypsy. You were right, though, I shouldn't compare you to De Loco."  
"That's right! I'm not some deranged nut-"  
"You're much more obsessed than he was."  
Vyse tackled her playfully, knocking her to the ground. "Take that back, Aika!"  
She started laughing uncontrollably, so uncontrollably that Vyse started to chuckle himself. He taped her on the head lightly. "You little... I am not obsessed about The Gypsy."  
"That's... what... you... say...!" she managed to say between bits of laughter. "Yeah, and incase you've forgotten, I'm the captain, so what I say goes!"  
"Aye aye captain!" she replied, still laughing. Vyse smiled evilly down at her.  
"And, since I am captain, I assign you to swabbing the decks today." He leaned closer to her, winking. "And I want to be able to see my reflection.  
That shut Aika up immediately. She looked up at him in horror. "No way! That's Marco's job!"  
He crossed his arms, smiling at her. "Well, now it's yours."  
She sat up angrily. "That's not fair! I'm not going to swab the decks of the ship you love more than life itself! You love it so much, then you clean it!"  
"Me? The captain, swabbing decks? That's absurd!"  
"Well, you're not going to see me doing it!"  
Vyse laughed, standing up. "I'm just joking, Aika. I wouldn't make you do that. Marco's gotten so used to it, I'm pretty sure he likes it now." He offered a hand down to her. "Just a chance to be outside, see the sky, you know how it is in Valua."  
She took his hand, pulling herself up. "Don't scare me like that again, Vyse. I refuse to swab the decks, ever."  
"Why not? My ship not good enough for you?"  
"Vyse, I got enough of swabbing the decks when we were on Drachma's ship."  
"At least you weren't busting your back lifting crates."  
Aika grimaced. 'Oh yeah, Drachma had put Vyse to work by forcing him into manual labor.' She looked down, not able to come up with a good response, thus making her loose that argument. It surprised her to see that Vyse still had a firm but loose grip on her hand, and his thumb was making light circular motions on the back of her hand. Fighting a blush, she pulled her hand away. "Are you hungry?"  
He was taken back by the question, but recovered quickly. "I guess I could eat. Wonder if Polly's up yet?"  
"If she isn't, then I'll cook something for us."  
Vyse winced, remembering an incident where Aika had volunteered to cook when Urala had caught a head cold and Polly, having much time with Urala, caught it too. Vyse and many others in his crew had been in bed for days, moaning in pain. 'If I eat her cooking again... Red Moon help me...' "Uh, how about we both cook, Aika? We can get some food quicker if we work together on it..." '... and I can make sure everything is prepared correctly this time'  
Aika shrugged. "Whatever. How about scrambled eggs? And some fried fish? Does that sound good to you?"  
"Sure... can I do the eggs?"  
"Okay! Your eggs usually turn out pretty well, anyways. Though I do remember one time when they were all runny and greasy and undercooked..."  
Vyse started towards the tavern. "Hey, that was when I first tried cooking them. I've learned from my mistakes."  
Aika followed him slowly. 'There's another thing different about him... he seems to be more... affectionate... it's small, but I can definitely see that he's... flirting... somewhat... though he could just be teasing me again'  
Vyse stopped, turning around to look at her. "You're awfully quiet. What's on your mind?"  
She blinked, smiling nervously. "Don't worry about me! I'm just trying to remember how long fish need to be fried."  
Vyse stared at her for a moment before turning around again. "Not long... two minutes on one side, two on the other."  
"Oh yeah. Thanks."  
Vyse nodded silently, sensing the suspicion that was radiating off of Aika. 'I need to take it down a notch... not too soon, not to late, that's what Nylas told me... you've known her all your life, Vyse... you should be comfortable with it. So why is this so hard'  
-  
Okay, it's bugging me that this chapter is so short. I like to type... and I like to type... a lot... When I was doing my first story, I wouldn't let myself update until each chapter was 1100 words long or something like that. This is like 700... must resist elongating... Please review. I busted my butt trying to put this out there quickly... 


	6. Chapter Six

You know this is going to be a pretty short story. With the way I'm going, the story will be finished in say... four more chapters maybe? Hmm... let's make a prediction. Including this one, I'll have to include that... then that... then that... then that... then that... then maybe a epilogue where I explain everything. So what's that? One, two... six? Well, it's not four, but let's just say that it'll be over in maybe six chapters. Maybe it's not as short as I would think, but I've read longer stories. Then again, chapters have nothing to do with anything. It's the words that count. Reviewer of the Week/Month/Year- Rednal29! Yaaaaayyyy!!! This guy has reviewed every chapter, the first person to do that for this story! All hail the mighty Aquarius! (Not to mention he also loves Tales of Symphonia)  
I bet I know exactly what a lot of you guys were thinking last chapter. "Aulp, Vyse trying to make a move! Awww..." Heheh... silly people, don't you know me better than that?  
-  
"The Lands of Ice? Why do you want to go there?"  
Vyse played with the steering wheel of the ship, sighing. "Just want to check out something in Glacia, nothing much. Can you tell everyone to bring warm clothes? I don't want anyone to freeze to death while we're there."  
Marco nodded. "Sure thing, Captain, but I have one question..."  
Vyse looked up. "What is it?"  
"Are you feeling alright? You've been really distant for a while..."  
Vyse chuckled, ruffling Marco's hair. "Don't worry about me. I'm just thinking about something. Plotting. Did Kirala tell you where Aika, Fina and I have been all this time?"  
Marco shook his head no, smoothing down his hair just for it to become wild and unruly again. "We were searching for a bounty. We didn't catch him cause he was way to too tricky and cunning. So I'm trying to think of a way to catch him. That's all. You don't have to worry. Now, go ahead and spread the word about our plan to head to the Lands of Ice, okay?"  
Marco nodded and left the bridge of the ship, leaving Vyse by himself. He made his way over to the table where the maps where located, looking down on it. Three pins, one silver, one red, one green, where stuck in a small spot in the Eastern Ocean, and three other pins where stuck in different spots around the world. 'That's going to look suspicious,' he thought sullenly. 'How will I carry this plan out? Stupid Nylas, why can't you do your own work yourself'  
Sighing, Vyse rolled up the map, careful not to let the pins poke through the paper. He tossed it into one of the hidden compartments in the bridge and locked it. "Now for the hard part."  
He left the bridge, making his way to Ilchymis's shop. The Valuan was busy studying something or another. Vyse fiddled something a small vial with a piece of paper around it in his pocket, waiting for a moment to see if Ilchymis would notice him. After a few minutes of being ignored and unnoticed, he took out the vial, placing it on the counter not to far away from the doctor. He stared at the vial for a moment before heading to his room as fast as possible without looking too suspicious. -  
"The Lands of Ice?"  
Marco nodded. "That's what Vyse said, though I don't see what you could find there. Isn't it just a land of ice and snow?"  
Fina nodded. "Yes, though the ruins under the ice are marvelous."  
"Yeah, he said he wanted to check out Glacia. Are those the ruins?"  
"Yes."  
Marco shrugged. "Well, he sounded pretty urgent. We're probably leaving sometime tomorrow, or maybe the next day."  
"Most likely tomorrow." Fina giggled. "Vyse is so eager to fly again."  
He smiled. "I suspect so. After going around in that small little boat, who wouldn't be excited to fly the Gypsy?"  
Fina blinked. "Small boat...?"  
"Yeah, he told me about that bounty you guys were going after. The only boat you could have taken was that tiny little thing that you guys use to dock with, right? If not, where'd you get a larger boat?"  
'A... bounty? Vyse is telling everyone that we went after a... bounty?' Fina was too stunned to even respond, lost in her own thoughts. 'Either he doesn't want the others to worry or... he doesn't want to give up his status. The King of Rogues, kidnapped? Understandable'  
"I'm pretty sure Kirala knows more about it, though. He wanted me to hurry up and tell everyone about going to the Lands of Ice..." Marco gasped. "That's right! Sorry, Fina, I have to go tell the others!" Waving slightly, the boy ran off in the direction of the Kalifa's tent.  
Fina came out her thoughts long enough to wave, only to return with confusion. 'Kirala? Must have been during the party... I didn't see him that much there, actually. Has he changed so much that he doesn't even enjoy the company of his friends and crew? Vyse... what's going on'  
-  
Aika sighed, looking over the railing on the platform of the meeting room. She had seen Vyse go into his room, rushed, but he hadn't come out, and that was half an hour ago. 'Vyse usually likes to work with the others outside on the ship or something, and doesn't spend that much time in his room.' 'I could go down and check on him,' she thought. 'But then he'd think I've been stalking him. But what if he's sick or something? What if he's not? Gods, I hate having these arguments in my head'  
After a few minutes of contemplating, Aika was headed towards Vyse's room with a desperate expression on her face. She hesitated before in front of his door before knocking, lighter than she intended to. She knocked again, louder this time.  
The door was opened only a moment later, as if Vyse had been waiting by the door. "Hey Vyse, just wondering-" Aika gasped, taking the time to actually look at Vyse. "Vyse... you're as pale as a ghost..."  
He smiled nervously. "It's nothing. So, what were you wondering?" he asked in an effort to change the subject.  
But Aika would not be swayed. " Vyse, what happened? You look as though you've been sick or something."  
"Don't worry about me. It's just lack of sleep, that's all."  
"Lack of sleep? Vyse, you were fine this morning. Seriously, what's wrong?"  
He chuckled. "Aika, you worry to much. I'm fine. Now, why did you come up here? Just to knock on my door and tell me how sick I looked?"  
Aika frowned. "I was just wondering how you were, okay. Seems you're fine, and you don't need me to watch you back. Guess I can leave now, huh?" She turned around, muttering to herself.  
"Fine. I won't stop you."  
Aika turned, surprise. But the door had already closed. Vyse's coldness hurt Aika. They had known each other since forever, and Vyse had practically never closed the door on her before. "Fine!" she said to the door, her voice filled with more anger than she felt. "Excuse me for worrying!"  
She walked down the ramp, straining her ears for the sound of the door opening again and for Vyse to apologize. After a few minutes of silence, she bit her lip. 'Oh gosh, Vyse. Why don't you just tell us what's wrong and stop us from worrying about you'  
-  
Yep. It's finally out. I'm sorry y'all. I don't like to make excuses, but just know that my school schedule got really freaked around, so I've kinda been worrying my buns off over it. Sidetracked. I must concentrate on my fans! Must..... WRIIIIITTTTEEEE! 


	7. Chapter Seven

Okay, before I get sidetracked again. Sigh. It's so early....... but I'll suck it up. I must do it, for the sake of the fans!  
Just random note: my legs are killing me. I had the first practice of the season yesterday, and the captains almost made me and two of my friends hyperventilate. It was horrible. Not to mention I'm jealous cause everyone says I should have made captain.  
Keiko, Reviewer of the Day/Week/Month- Of course I remember you! How could I forget? Yeah, this is very confusing if you don't know the characters to the story. I plan to restart Why Demons Return when I get all my other ideas out of my head, down and completed. Which will take time, yes, much time. Don't expect my inuyasha story for a while, though... I want to finish shivers first. Then Inuyasha, maybe Denial if I feel up to it.  
So, on with the story. Now, if I can remember the plot idea......... hmmm....... that's right. Okay, I can do this.  
-  
"Approaching Lands of Ice area."  
Vyse nodded, turning the wheel a bit to the left. "Great. We'll be there in a minute."  
Fina looked up. "So where's 'there?'"  
He smiled, keeping his eyes forward. "Surprise. Trust me, you'll love it."  
Aika and Fina exchanged looks before going back to their positions. The two had somewhat accepted the fact that they weren't going to get many straight answers from Vyse. It was frustrating, but what could they do about it?  
Vyse sighed. "Drop anchor here."  
Aika looked up, confused. "Vyse, we're in the middle of nowhere. Why drop anchor here?"  
"You'll find out soon."  
She shrugged, pressing the button that would lower the anchor. After a few seconds there was a satisfying 'thud.' Everyone in the bridge physically relaxed at the same time, as if it had been rehearsed. Vyse turned, leaning on the wheel.  
"So, ladies and gentlemen. We have come to one of the best spots for viewing the Aurora. What do you say we go out on deck and stargaze for a while?"  
Everyone blinked once, twice, three times. "Stargazing?" Hans asked uncertainly.  
Vyse nodded. "Nothing better to do, really. Besides, some of us wanted to come here. And it's a nice way to relax."  
Aika smiled. "I guess I can do with that."  
Moegi smiled. "I do not think that I saw the Aurora before, at least not at a clear time."  
Lawrence shrugged. "As long as I remain paid, I'm fine with anything."  
"Then I guess we'd better get some blankets out. Everyone meet on deck in ten minutes." Vyse walked out of the bridge calmly, not meeting anyone's eye. He went over his plan again in his mind, trying to figure out how much time he would have to complete it. 'Fifteen... fifteen minutes, maximum. No time to waste.' He slipped into the room where the petite boat was, preparing it for launch. Then he went into the lounge area, heading to the galley. Everyone had already disappeared, leaving the large room to himself. He poured himself a cup of water. Standing in front of the kettle, he poured the water on the floor slowly, leaving the slightest amount, which he poured into the kettle. He touched the metal of the kettle, watching as a small hole was burned into it.  
He stepped back, looking at his work. The only thing that would mess up this setting would be bad luck. If someone came in before he had returned, it would take serious brain racking to come up with a cover story. Vyse sighed, praying that everything will work out.  
He went up to the deck, finding everyone already gathered there. Moegi had succeeded in finding enough blankets for everyone, and was busy passing the out to the others. His eyes spotted Aika and Fina talking quietly, and he put on a smile that almost, but didn't, reach his eyes. Fina looked up as he came closer and whispered something to Aika. The two stopped talking immediately, looking at him. His smile dropped. "What's wrong?"  
Aika smiled. "Nothing at all. We were just having a girl to girl conversation."  
Vyse winced. "Then I'll butt out."  
Fina looked between the two, feeling the heavy tension. 'I've never seen them so nervous around each other,' she thought. She smiled, trying to ease the tension a bit. "So where do you two want to look at the Aurora?"  
Vyse smiled at Fina, thankful for her intervention. "You wanna go to the lookout tower?"  
"Sure," Aika said, also glad that Fina had stepped in. "I'll grad a blanket and meet you there."  
"Aika, wai-" But Aika had already run off towards Moegi, not waiting to hear what Vyse had to say. He sighed. "Sometimes she's so impulsive."  
Fina giggled. "In a good way. Let's go on up, okay?"  
Vyse looked longingly after Aika but nodded, tearing his gaze from the redhead. "Lead the way."  
The two made their way up to the lookout tower, chatting idly on the way. Fina shivered slightly when they re-entered the cold air, but Vyse pretended not to notice. They sat on the bench, a good distance apart. The tension wasn't as strong as it was between Aika and Vyse, but it was still there, and they both felt it. Fina sighed, opening her mouth to speak just as Aika came up, a bright smile on her face. "There wasn't enough for each of us, so we can share one, if that's alright with you two?"  
Vyse nodded, smiling. He scooted over towards Fina, patting the spot on his other side. Aika sat beside him, throwing the blanket over all three of their shoulders. Fina closed her mouth, trying not to look to disappointed.  
After a while, she started shivering. Vyse looked at her, concern written all over his face. "Cold?"  
She smiled. "Just a bit..."  
"How about some hot chocolate?"  
"That would be great."  
Aika hopped up. "I'll go get some!"  
Vyse put a hand on Aika's shoulder, pushing her back down. She flinched slightly under his touch, hiding it by turning it into a shiver. Vyse smiled. "I'll get it. You two stay here, I'll be back in a bit."  
He climbed down the ladder and sighed, his cheerful manner no more. 'Now for the hard part. I have fifteen minutes to do this. Fifteen minutes'  
He hopped into the smaller boat, taking off. He immediately sunk as far as he could go, hiding himself from view. Once he was below the clouds he stopped, entering Glacia from the entrance at the bottom. As soon as he could put the boat to rest he did, jumping out. Immediately he felt the old power, great, but faded. He followed the trail until he came to Rykan's final resting place. Though it had been a long time since the archwale had died, the carcass was still partly there. "Must be the cold," he thought aloud. He drew his cutlass, walking to a spot where the flesh was still clinging to the bones. "I'm sorry, Rykan," he muttered before slicing off a bit of the decaying flesh. He took a plastic bag out of his pocket, dropping the flesh into it. He quickly replaced the flesh into his pocket, running back to the boat.  
Vyse reached the ship without any troubles at all, securing the dinghy quickly. He made his way back to the lounge, hoping that no one had disturbed his work. Everything was in the same place as it had been when he left. He took at a three mugs and three packets of hot chocolate, dispensing them into the mugs. Finally, with a grimace on his face, he put on a plastic glove from his pocket, reaching into his other pocket. He pulled out a small piece of the silver rope that had left scars on his wrists. Taking a deep breath, he dropped it on his forearm.  
It took all of his self-control not to scream in pain as he watched the rope burn his flesh away. After a few seconds, he removed the rope, dropping it on the floor like it had burned his covered hand. Sighing, he held his arm for a few moments, his eyes closed. He reminded himself of the time limit he had and opened his eyes, moving as if in a dream. He found some bandages and began to wrap the burns. He knew they would heal quickly, but it would still leave a slight scar. 'How many more times am I going to have to do this?' he thought, picking up the rope. He tucked both the rope and the glove into his pocket, flattening it so that it appeared empty.  
Only moments later the door opened, revealing a worried looking Aika. "Hey, Vyse, are you okay? You've been down here for at least fifteen minutes..." she trailed off, taking in the details of the room, her eyes coming to a stop on his bandaged arm. She gasped. "Oh my goodness, what happened?"  
Vyse didn't miss a beat, wincing genuinely. "I spilt hot water on myself, nothing big. There's a hole in the kettle. Don't know how it got there."  
Aika went over to the kettle, inspecting the hole. "It looks like it was burned. Do you think all that hot water finally got to it?"  
"Most likely. Either that or we have metal eating rodents on the ship."  
Aika chuckled, looking at the bandage. "Sure you're alright?"  
He looked at the bandage, sighing. "Yeah, I'm good. I just wish I could get Fina some hot chocolate, she must be freezing up there."  
"Don't worry about that," reassured Aika. "I'll see if there are anymore blankets. That way we won't have to share and she'll be warmer. How long are we staying, anyways?"  
"Until tomorrow, whenever tomorrow is here. Then I want to head to Valua to visit Enrique. Think he'll look forward to an unannounced visit?"  
Aika smiled. "Of course! I'm sure Moegi misses Enrique, too. Took a lot of courage for her to leave her husband to come with us for a bit."  
Vyse grinned. "I think I'm going to have to tell her to stay with Enrique before it turns into a Polly and Robinson thing. Besides, long distance relationships never work out, do they?"  
"Not in most cases. I'll get the blankets, you go on up to Fina, I'm sure she's wondering where we are right now."  
She left without waiting for him to respond again, as if she had suddenly grown nervous around him. 'Why do you make things so hard?' Vyse thought. He looked at his bandage sullenly before sighing, heading back up to the look out post.  
-  
And it's over! Yeesh, that took time, didn't it? I think I'm getting into the pattern of one update per month, a monthly treat for all of you. Let's not consider how long it's been since Shivers got updated. It'll be too embarrassing. School's settled down, but, just like my mother, I can always find something to complain about. But on a lighter note.  
I have the weekend, so I will start working on the next chapter soon. I think that it'll start becoming more romantic after this. I've been thinking about this next chapter for so long, I practically have the words memorized. Isn't that sad? But let me stop rambling.  
Please review. 


	8. Chapter Eight

Once again. I'm going to start this, four weeks later, it gets updated. Great. Aren't I so punctual? Well, I think that it might be up sooner, I'm working on it a lot now. But how many times have I said that before it came true?  
-  
"Entering Mid-Ocean area. Get straight and we'll reach Valua in no time."  
Vyse nodded, his stomach churning. He was trying to figure out if something he'd eaten hadn't agreed with him. He couldn't find a reason behind the headache that was beating at the inside of his skull, though. He groaned quietly, rubbing his eyes.  
Fina looked up, noticing the gesture. "Are you okay, Vyse?"  
Vyse smiled, looking back at her. "Of course. I think I caught a cold in the Lands of Ice, though. I'll take some medicine later."  
Hans looked at him. "Cap'n, you'd better keep your health up so that you aren't sneezing all over Enrique when you see him."  
Vyse chuckled, looking back to the skies. "Don't worry, I'll be alright."  
'You say that every time,' Aika thought bitterly. 'Why won't you just admit the truth?"  
"Cap'n, maybe we should stop by Sailor's Isle on the way. We need to restock on a few supplies.  
"Supplies? Like what?"  
"Like a kettle!" Aika interrupted, smirking. Vyse shrugged, looking at his bandage.  
"Maybe you're right... anything else we need?"  
"Um, running low on cannon ammo, and Osman probably wants to sell what she's gathered. Best to stop."  
Vyse inhaled slowly, letting the breath out in one large sigh. "Okay. Changing course to Sailor's Is-"  
Groaning, Vyse sank to his knees, his fingers still gripping the wheel. He panted heavily, turning a sickly shade of white. He blinked a couple of times, futilely trying to clear his swirling vision. If only the room would stop tilting this way and that.  
"Vyse! Are you alright?"  
He blinked, regaining some of his composure. He stood, rubbing his head. "I'm fine," he said, knowing exactly what his body was trying to tell him. 'Why here? Why now? It's too risky, I don't have a plan for this.' He smiled slightly at Fina, who was still gazing at him with concern. "Serious. I just need some fresh air, that's all. Lawrence, please take the wheel."  
Vyse walked past everyone, trying hard to ignore their glances. He only made slight eye contact with Aika, who had remained frozen when Vyse collapsed. Subtly, hardly noticeable to any of the others, he bumped into Aika before continuing on his way. Aika turned to look at him, but he didn't look back.  
Aika waited until the door had closed completely, looking back at her gears. Vyse had bumped into her, didn't he? Was it an accident? 'No,' she thought. 'He looked straight at me. No matter how sick he was, there was no mistaking that'  
Fina sighed, looking at Aika. "He's hiding something again."  
Aika nodded, still slightly distracted. Lawrence looked over his shoulder at the two, his expressions stoic as usual. "Since when does a captain always have to share his motives?"  
Aika looked at him. "Yeah, but it would help if he told his friends what's going on, wouldn't it?"  
Lawrence shrugged, looking back at the skies. Hans laughed a bit. "I think what he's trying to say is that Vyse has more freedom than any of us do. He is the one that's calling all the shots, he can keep things to himself if he wants to."  
Fina frowned, looking at her gears. "Still..."  
Aika put on a false smile, convincing to anyone that hadn't known her for many years. "No use worrying about it, might as well let Vyse get on with what he's doing. I'll be right back, okay?"  
Fina tilted her head, confused. "Where are you going?"  
"Just have to use the privy, that's it. Back in a few!"  
She ran out of the room, looking like she was in a good mood. As soon as she was out of hearing distance from the bridge she stopped running, her good mood disappearing. 'What am I doing?' she thought. 'Maybe it was just my imagination, it does tend to get away from me sometimes. Should I just go back'  
Before she could make up her mind, she was there; the lowest deck. And, just as she thought, Vyse was leaning against the rail, looking into the water. He looked up, noticing her arrival. "Hey," he said dully, as if he was bored or distracted.  
"Hey," she went over to him, leaning with her back on the rail. "Are you feeling better?"  
"A bit."  
Aika started to babble, already feeling uneasy. "The others in the bridge say that you just need freedom to do what you want, though I wasn't sure. I mean, a pirate is naturally free, isn't he? Just because you're captain, I would think that you'd have less freedoms because you have to be the leader of the others. Sure, it's an honor to be a captain, but remember the times when it was just us traveling around? Times were harder then, but overall, I think that it was one of the best times of our journey-"  
"You know what would make me feel better?" Vyse interrupted. He kept his eyes downcast, trying to hide the pain in his eyes.  
Aika stopped, surprised. "W-what?"  
Suddenly, Vyse wasn't even a hair's width away from her. He leaned down a bit, his lips level with her ear. "You," he said, his voice low with passion. "It's you I want more than anything, that I've wanted, and will always want. Say that you'll be mine forever." He allowed his hands to travel freely on her body. "Tell me that you feel the same."  
Aika moaned, her breath coming in heavy pants. "Vyse..." She could feel her body react to his hands, taking delight from it. She permitted Vyse to play with her a bit more. 'He's so good,' she thought. 'When did he learn how to do this'  
Vyse grabbed her chin gently, lifting her face up. She closed her eyes, preparing for a kiss. She could feel Vyse getting closer and closer, could feel his warm breath.  
Then, suddenly, it was over. Aika opened her eyes, confused. Vyse was standing three feet away from her, looking away. She blinked and was about to ask why he stopped when the door opened. Fina didn't look too surprised to see them there. "I thought so. I knew you didn't have to use the privy, you went after him."  
Aika blushed, trying to calm her heart. "Uh, I, er, sorry?"  
Fina gave Aika a perplexed look before turning back to Vyse. "How do you feel?"  
He smiled. "Much better now. I think it must have been something I ate."  
"You're having bad luck recently, aren't you? First the burns, now this... Everyone's worried about you. I'm sure Urala has some recipes that would work wonder for a sick stomach."  
"Great." He stood beside Fina, grinning. "I'll definitely need something for my stomach, it feels like I swallowed a slug." He looked at Aika, smiling. There weren't any secret messages being shown by his eyes, no sparks or anything. "Going to come with us?"  
Aika gasped, taken back. "Uh, sure," she stammered, falling into place beside them. She didn't know whether to get close to Vyse or stay far away, deciding on a happy medium.  
Vyse cursed silently to himself, feeling his headache fade away. 'This isn't fair,' he thought bitterly, keeping his face pleasant looking. 'I swear by the name of the moons, this really isn't fair'  
-  
Fina lay awake that night, her mind racing much to fast for her to fall asleep. She had seen the gazes Vyse had sent Aika when he thought no one was looking. They were brief, no longer than a second, but their meanings were clear. Fina hugged her pillow tightly, burying her face in it. Aika had seemed uneasy around Vyse, and pretended not to see the looks he sent her; it was obvious she had, because every time he looked at her she became a bit flustered. 'Does that mean that Aika doesn't like it?' Fina thought, confused.  
'I bet she does. She's liked him for a long time, too'  
'She's your friend, she wouldn't do something like that'  
'All's fair in love and war'  
'Fina, get a grip on yourself. If there was something between Vyse and Aika, she would tell you. Stop worrying and trust your friends, they wouldn't mislead you like that'  
'You can never be sure'  
Fina lay down, forcing herself to not think about the subject. Aika stirred in the bed beside her. "Fina, are you alright?" she said, her voice groggy from sleep.  
Fina smiled, realizing that Aika couldn't see the expression in the dark. "I'm fine, I'm having a bit of difficulty falling asleep."  
"Try hot chocolate..." Aika moaned, falling back asleep. Fina frowned, wondering how she'd get hot chocolate when the kettle was currently disabled. She shrugged it off, closing her eyes. Sighing, she started counting sheep, hoping that the age old technique would work.  
-  
Enrique smiled, watching as The Gypsy docked. 'I'm going to see my companions again,' he thought. 'And my wife'  
He had been missing Moegi terribly throughout the few weeks she had been gone. It had been hard to focus on the work that needed doing. His mind kept wandering back to her lovely smile, the way she looked at him, how she said his name.  
He shook his head slightly, preventing himself from getting lost in thought. Hopefully all that would stop when he had Moegi at his side again. He grinned, watching as Aika ran down from the ship, beaming happily. "Enrique!" She threw herself around his neck, hugging him. He laughed, hugging her back.  
"Glad to see you, too, Aika."  
Fina came down not to long after, the same smile on her face. "It is nice to see you, Enrique. How have you been?"  
'She's still as polite as ever,' he thought. "Excellent, though I admit, I have missed sailing a bit. I've gotten so used to it."  
"And to think that in the beginning you got sick almost every time we left port."  
Enrique looked up, surprised. Vyse had come up without him even seeing it. Enrique's eyes narrowed slightly, looking at Vyse. "Hello, Vyse..."  
Vyse's eyes widened. "What's with the strange look?"  
"You seem... different," he said.  
Vyse cursed to himself. 'Do we have to bring this up every time someone sees me for the first time ever since then?' "Well, I don't feel different. Maybe being captain does that to you."  
"Maybe." Enrique highly doubted that the answer was that simple. He cast a glance at Aika, who looked away uneasily. Deciding that the answer would come out eventually, his mind turned to other things. "Where's Moegi?"  
Vyse turned to look over his shoulder. "I don't know. Have you seen her, Fina?"  
Fina shook her head, her expression concerned. "No. I thought she was right behind me, but I guess she didn't come..."  
Enrique sighed, trying not to be disappointed. Fina and Aika rushed to see him, but now his own wife? What a let down.  
Aika smiled sympathetically at Enrique. "I'm sure she just had to go to the bathroom or something, she'll be out in a moment."  
Enrique nodded. "I understand. She'll show eventually. Right now, you three must be starving! Pirate food isn't always the best. How about something to eat?"  
Vyse smiled cooly. "Sounds great. I could use something in my stomach."  
"Oh! How about some soup? I'm in the mood for some right now."  
The Emperor smiled at Aika. "Sure. But why stand around here and wait? Let's go inside."  
Aika smiled, excited at the prospect of food. The three started following Enrique, chatting away like good friends tend to do.  
-  
"Ilchymis, if what you say is true..."  
The doctor nodded to Belle. "I've only run one test so far, but it seems to be the most likely conclusion. Though how they got this technology is beyond me..."  
"But there's no way to reach them in time! They probably won't come back forever!"  
He winced. "All too true. But we have to think of a way to contact them. They need to know this."  
Belle looked down at the ground, her voice falling to a whisper. "I think he already knows."  
Ilchymis nodded sadly. "Yes, Belle. I think he knows too."  
-  
Vyse looked down at the Maw of Tartas, wondering if anything remained of the Yellow Gigas. 'Of course something remains,' he thought. 'How do you properly slay something like that'  
He fastened a rope around a nearby rock, and, with the other end of the rope in hand, started to climb down the crater. He stopped once he was in front of one of the stone figures that had been carved into the wall. He braced himself against, keeping one hand on the rope. Eyeing the figure, he drew his cutlass. 'It looks like the same material,' he said, picturing the Gigas in his mind. 'Even if it's not, it's the best I can do without blowing up this whole part of the continent.' With inhuman strength he chopped off a small piece of the rock, catching it before it fell. He tucked it into his pocket, sheathed his cutlass, and started to climb back up the rope.  
"Two down, one to go," he said once he reached the top. He reclined in his rental boat, not feeling up to returning to the others at that very moment. He looked at the sky, which was hidden behind it's melancholy black clouds. "One more," he said to the clouds. "And then the games really begin."  
-  
And cut. I made the mistake of uploading this page before I had finished it. Oops. But then, once I deleted it, I started to write more to the story. That whole last section would not be there if it wasn't for my generosity. Be grateful! :D I really hope I'm spelling everyone's name right. I have a crew listing on my computer, but sometimes the text is hard to read, you know when an 'I' looks like an 'l' and I get so confused and just write something in hopes that no one would notice...... It is the Maw of Tartas, right? Or is it Mar? So confused.... someone just tell me the correct form of it, but I'm not going to change it. It's too minor for my standards.  
Please review. 


	9. Chapter Nine

Just want to say thanks to all those who keep reviewing and sticking to the story even after I take forever to write it. I love you all!  
Aika1- Eh? I do leave a space between my paragraphs... is Fanfiction screwing with my story? Grrrrrrrrrr ------ Vyse smiled at the happy couple. "Ah, love. Beautiful, isn't it Aika?"  
"Yes, it is," Aika replied giggling. She was too busy smirking at the blushing two to notice the look that Vyse sent her. By the time she looked at him, the moment had already passed by.  
Enrique blushed, looking away. "Come on, you two..."  
Vyse patted Enrique on the back. "Just some harmless teasing, nothing more," he said, accidently letting his sleeve slip down his arm. He had removed the bandages on his arm the night before, and had been disappointed to see that the ropes left a scar in an obvious weaving pattern. More disappointing was the fact that he could do nothing about it, and that it could be observed by anyone who happened to look at his arm. He quickly removed his arm from his friend's back, tugging his sleeve down, but it was already too late.  
"Vyse, where those burns on your arm?"  
He winced. "Yeah," he groaned, putting on his best act yet. "I had a little incident with the kettle... hot water spilt on my arms, but it's nothing bad. It's pretty close to healing right now."  
"Maybe I should get someone to look at it, just to make sure."  
"No!" Vyse exclaimed, drawing attention from all that were around and in hearing range. 'Great job, genius,' he though, resisting the urge to punch himself in the gut repeatedly. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "It's not worth it. Just a few burns, I'm sure there is at least one dying person out there, why distract the doctor's attention from them to me?"  
Enrique winced. "Even still..."  
"I'm fine, don't worry about me." He smiled at Moegi. "So, Moegi, do you and your husband plan to go to your homeland any time soon?"  
Moegi nodded. "Yes. I wish to visit my brother and father."  
'Great,' Vyse thought bitterly. "When?"  
"Hopefully soon. About a week or two from now, depending on how everything works out."  
'A week or two... doesn't give me much time'  
Enrique looked at Vyse, tearing his eyes from his wide blue sleeve that concealed the burns. "What about you? What will you be doing next?"  
Vyse shrugged, leaning back against his chair. "I dunno. Probably go back to the Isle. I wanna get The Gypsy checked out, she's not turning as smoothly as she usually does."  
Aika snorted, rolling her eyes. "The day that The Gypsy doesn't turn smoothly is the day Pow learns to fly. It's just your imagination."  
"Hey, I'm the one who steers, I can tell when there is a difference."  
Aika stuck her tongue out at him, ignoring Moegi and Enrique's laughter. Vyse smirked at her, knowing that he'd won the very brief argument. She changed the subject smoothly, making sure that she brought up a subject that wouldn't hurt her in any way shape or form. "Where's Fina?"  
Enrique and Moegi looked at each other. Enrique shrugged, blinking a few times. She shook her head, concern starting to appear on her face. "Vyse, do you know where Fina is?"  
"She didn't tell me anything," Vyse said with his eyebrows raised.  
Aika bit her lip, trying to remember if Fina had said anything that may have hinted as to where she may be. But as far as she knew, the Silvite had the exact plans she had, with no other changes to the schedule. Worried, she said, "Maybe she's gone missing..."  
"Fina has Cupil," Vyse stated matter-of-factly. "She could take care of herself in a dangerous situation. Let's not start worrying too much until she doesn't show up for a long time."  
"I should send out some people to search for her just in cause," Enrique suggested.  
"That's probably a good idea."  
Enrique nodded, standing from the table. He gave everyone a quick bow before leaving the room. Aika looked at Vyse, latching herself onto his arm. "Vyse, do you think she's alright?"  
He shrugged, biting his lip. "I don't know. I hope so." Moegi clasped her hands together tightly, lips pursed. She murmured a quick prayer under her breath, praying for Fina's safety. "Maybe we should return to our rooms. She could be there."  
"Okay..." Aika reluctantly let go of Vyse's arm, looking at Moegi. "Thanks for having us over."  
"Aika, don't thank me. This home can be considered your homes, too. I'll also help with looking for Fina."  
Vyse smiled. Moegi had put together an elite spy system that rivaled none. There wasn't anything that could escape the eyes of her spies. "Thanks, Moegi." He stood from the table, waiting for Aika to stand before nodding at Moegi and leading Aika out of the room.  
-  
Fina didn't know how she should feel. Angry or sad? Unable to come to a conclusion, she decided on a happy medium. Her face had an expression of agitation and determination, yet tears streamed down her face like a river. She was laying on her stomach, her wrists tied together behind her back, and her ankles also tied. She struggled futilely to free herself from her bonds, though, like the other fifty times she had tried, they remained tight.  
"Watching you struggle is... oddly pleasing for me, Fina."  
She looked up at him through her tears, glaring. "How could you do this?" She sobbed. "I thought we were friends."  
He pulled a knife from his pocket, twirling it between his fingers. "We are friends," he said easily. His eyes rested on the blade, watching it flash in the dull lighting. "But you were getting in the way."  
"In the way of what?"  
"Fina, Fina, Fina, do you really think I would tell you? After all of this planning? What if you should escape? Though there is a very slim chance, why would I have you blabbing my secrets out to everyone and ruin it all?"  
Her eyes darted to Cupil, who sat in a burbly mass. He followed her gaze and laughed sharply. "Don't even think about it; the poison I slipped him will last for a very long time, I'm afraid. Poor Fina, it looks like she's caught like a fly in a spider web."  
She growled, blinking away tears. "Once I get out of these, the first thing I'm going to do is take that knife and plunge it down your throat!"  
"Oh, harsh words. What happened to the sweet innocent Fina I used to know?" He laughed again, taking a firm grip on the handle of the knife. "Such a shame, beauty is wasted on the foolish." He drew the knife back, readying for a throw. Fina shut her eyes tightly, sobbing once again. A loud thunk near her made her open her eyes. He had thrown the knife into the stone floor, at least one inch deep. 'How did he do that?' she thought, looking up at him.  
He shrugged, looking away. "I suggest that after your cut your ropes, that you lay low for a while."  
"Why would I do that?" she asked, more curious than angry.  
"I'm just looking out for your best interest. Or would you like your flesh slowly burned from your bones?"  
She shivered at the expressionless way he said it. Just looking at him made her heart ache, so instead she looked back at the knife. The blade was still exposed, and at the perfect height for sawing through ropes. 'He wants me to escape,' she realized, putting things together in her mind.  
"Fine," she finally said. "Seems like I have no other choice, do I?"  
"Well, you could stay in here or either starve to death or get eaten by a monster, but I don't think those were the kind of choices you were talking about."  
"Why are you doing this?"  
He sucked his teeth, rolling his eyes. "Do we have to go over this again?"  
"No, why are you giving me the opportunity to free myself?"  
"Ask me no questions, Fina, and I'll tell you no lies. After you've cut your bonds, go that way." He pointed to a tunnel behind Fina. "Take the first right, whatever you do, don't go to the left. You'll find everything you'll need there. Okay?"  
She nodded, looking at his feet. "... Will you explain afterwards?"  
"Maybe. I have to leave before they get suspicious." He turned, walking away. Fina grunted, trying to worm her way to the knife. "Oh, and Fina?" She made the mistake of looking up at him, and tears began to flow anew. If he saw the tears, he ignored him, though it was dark down in the catacombs, so maybe he couldn't see them? "This is all for your own good."  
After that, he left, his footsteps echoing even after he had turned the corner. She sighed, waiting a minute before trying to crawl to the knife again.  
-  
"Aika, look at this."  
Aika turned, looking at Vyse. He was holding a piece of paper in his hands, looking down at it. A frown rested on his lips, drawing worry lines on his forehead. Aika went over to him, looking over his shoulder. "What is it?" she asked, reading the paper.  
'If you ever want to see your pirate friend again, you'll pay 100,000,000 Gold. Don't go to the empire, or else I'll slit her throat before you even get to see her'  
Her hand came to her mouth, partially covering it in her shock. "This is horrible! Vyse, how are we going to get that much money without going to Enrique?"  
He groaned, running his fingers through his hair. "This is madness. Who in the world would do something like this?" Angrily, he threw the paper on the ground, stomping on it repeatedly. Aika rested a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. 'Wow... I've never seen him react like this before, not even when Fina was kidnapped by the Empire'  
"Even if we rob the riches of people, we would never get this much money," she muttered, leaning against his back. "What are we going to do?"  
Vyse sighed, looking down at his hands. "... We'll have to do it somehow." He turned to look at her. "Let's go back to Crescent Isle so that we can think about it. Have to get The Gypsy checked out, too."  
Aika nodded, holding back tears. "Okay," she choked, an a tear accidently slipped down her face. She ducked her head, hoping that Vyse hadn't seen her crying. 'He'll think that I'm weak,' she thought desperately.  
Too her surprise, he pulled her into a tight hug, and his voice sounded like he was close to crying, too. "We'll find a way, Aika. It'll take time, but we'll do it."  
She nodded, letting the tears fall freely now. She sobbed uncontrollably into Vyse's chest, too caught up to notice the extremely passionate picture they made.  
-  
Here it is. You know, I didn't mean for this to happen when I first thought of the story. But Fina is just so annoying... I had to get rid of her. I think we'll be starting the second half of the story at this point. Is anyone confused? Heheh.... I love this job. 


	10. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: I don't own Skies of Arcadia, or else I would be rich and have other people right fanfictions for me.  
-  
"What do you mean, Fina's missing"  
Vyse merely stared at Hans with a calm expression. He took a deep breath before responding. "She was kidnapped at Valua"  
"So why didn't you go get her"  
"Because we had no leads, nothing to work off of. How do you expect us to find someone like that"  
Hans groaned, leaning against the rocky wall of the underground dock. Slowly he sank to the ground, sighing. "Fina's gone... how are we going to find her, Cap'n"  
"Domingo's out right now searching for any clues that may be had. All we can do is trust him"  
Vyse ran his fingers through his hair. Hans's reaction had been mild compared to some of the other's. Urala had plain started to cry, Belle went into a screaming fit, and Marco, with a quivering lip, had run off and still hadn't been found. Everyone had been busy doing work, so to call them off of work and tell them as a group would have been inefficient. So he had decided to tell each one individually, so they wouldn't be too distracted. He was starting to regret taking the responsibility of telling the crew, and of comforting all of them. Nearly everyone went into tears after hearing the news, even Pow looked a bit depressed.  
"Come on, Hans, worrying and moping around won't help Fina to be found. What we can do, though, is to contribute to Fina's finding. Once Domingo gets back with his news, we're heading out, wherever those clues might lead us"  
Hans managed a small smile at his elder, his respect and admiration winning over his sadness. "Okay, cap'n. Brabham and I will finish that engine upgrade in record time." Suddenly sparked by this statement, he left, working with the gusto that only youth can have. Vyse smiled, mentally going over all the crew members in his brain. The only one left was... Ilchymis. Vyse cringed. 'Let word of mouth reach him? Or get Aika to do it?' If he choice to let the word pass around, there was a chance that maybe it didn't reach Ilchymis. If it did, then he would be offended, and the last thing Vyse needed was a bad relationship with a few of his crew members. But if he choice the latter... Aika would be confused. She would do it, but it would leave her wondering... unless there was a good excuse. A good bribe, in a way. 'What would I have to pay to get Aika to do it for me?' he mused. Definitely nothing of material value, she would be offended by that. Something really special, that he would never offer to just anyone... he smiled, coming with the perfect idea that would bring both plans together. He walked off in an obvious happier mood, drawing eyes from all that were depressed about Fina's disappearance.  
-------

"Oh Aika"  
She gasped, feeling the arms wrap around her waist. Vyse chuckled at her surprise. "Aren't we fidgety today"  
Aika sighed, smiling shakily. "Oh, it's just you Vyse. What"  
"Have I ever told you how beautiful you look when you're worried"  
Her heart started to beat furiously. 'He's flirting again,' she thought worriedly. She was in love with Vyse, that much was true, but this sudden affection wasn't what she expected. Especially not when Fina was missing. "Vyse, please"  
He chuckled again, moving around in front of her. His arms were still wrapped around her waist, a bit looser though. "Aika, I'll tell you what I've told the others. Fina wouldn't want us worrying about her and messing up our entire lives. She would want us to carry on, especially with what comes naturally"  
Disgusted, Aika pulled away. "You make it sound like she's dead!" she hissed. She couldn't believe his nerve. To try to get fresh at a time like this! "Like we won't find her, like she's not coming back"  
Vyse looked genuinely sad. "I'm sorry, Aika. It's just that"  
"No! I'm tired of your excuses and lies! How you're always keeping things from us now, always telling us only half of the story, I'm sick of it"  
Vyse looked down at the ground, enduring the verbal assault with not a complaint. The only thing he regretted was their location. Right outside the meeting room, isolated above everyone wasn't the best place for an argument or anything that Vyse wished to happen that day.  
"You come back with all these insane orders, then all these injuries you won't explain, it's almost like you've been replaced by some idiot clone of yourself. What has happened"  
He was starting to become annoyed with the words flowing from Aika's mouth. Not only where they just harsh, but it also represented all his flaws in hiding his true nature. He didn't like the fact that others noticed things about him that would be considered odd, or at least different from the Vyse that they knew.  
"- And then you just start to act shamelessly! As if you don't have any morals anymore! If I could only"  
Vyse, fed up with it, cut her off by pressing his lips against hers in a passionate, yet hard kiss. 'Relax,' he told himself. 'Enjoy it.' He only managed to relax but so much, but hopefully Aika wouldn't notice.  
In fact, she didn't notice. She was too lost in the kiss to notice anything else. It wasn't the way she had imagined it to be, but a kiss is, nonetheless, a kiss, and she wanted to relish every single moment of it.  
The kiss broke after a few moments, both of them slightly out of breath. Neither of them thought of anything except that last lingering taste of the other on their lips. At the same time they attacked, craving for that taste again, the kiss growing more passionate and savage every moment. Vyse reached one hand behind him and turned the doorknob. Locked. Where was his key? Without thinking, he tapped a finger against the doorknob, causing a brilliant light, a light that could be seen from all parts of the island, if someone actually looked in their direction. The door popped open, and Vyse, with his arm hooked around Aika's waist, stepped backwards in. Aika followed eagerly, still lost in their kiss. Vyse closed the door, all of his tension gone. He pulled away from Aika, smirking. "Still mad at me"  
She shook her head, staring at his lips.  
Still smirking, Vyse cupped her chin so that she had no choice but to look directly into his eyes. "Aika, I love you," he whispered as he kissed her lightly. He was lost in his lust, too lost to even consider the words that came out of his mouth. If probed, maybe he would tell the whole thing.  
Aika cuddled with him. "I love you too, Vyse, so much... I always have, ever since those days after my parents died, you comforted me so much, I'll never be able to thank you enough, that's why I love you"  
Touching. So touching and so heartfelt that it almost brought Vyse back to his senses; it certainly cleared them a bit. He wrapped his arms around her waist, smiling. "That's what I'm here for," he replied. "Too make you feel better"  
Aika grinned, wishing she could be even closer to Vyse. She could feel his hand moving around her back, trying to find the laces that kept her shirt tight on her body, but she didn't care. Anything just to get closer to him.  
Vyse cast a quick look at the door to make sure it was locked before undoing the final lace on Aika's shirt, letting it fall open. 'This is it,' he thought. 'One of the most important steps in my plan.' He smiled, leaning down to kiss Aika again. 'At least I like it this time'  
-  
Domingo knocked on Vyse's door, thinking deeply. First Fina had gone missing, then Ilchymis gets wrapped up in an experiment that he claims is too important for him to go anywhere, then a bright flash from the meeting room that he saw while off the island. Somehow, he knew that his captain was involved in all of this. He knocked again, closing his eyes thoughtfully as Vyse opened the door.  
"Captain, it took a long time and a lot of probing, but-" he opened his eyes, surprised to see Vyse without a shirt on. Sitting on Vyse's bed was Aika, who sat patiently. Domingo smirked. "Am I interrupting something"  
"Very funny, Domingo." Vyse moved back, grabbing a black shirt from a draw. Pulling it over his head, he asked, "So what did you find out? And how much did it cost you? I want all the details"  
"It was interesting. The guy I got the info from was wearing a cloak, you know, the cliche type where you can't see his face or anything. And he didn't want any money. All I did was ask him if he knew anything about missing persons and their locations and he demanded this strange price"  
"Which was"  
"Moonstone thread. Luckily I always carry some with me, the stuff is good for making any type of repairs, really strong. He took my whole spindle, then told me where Fina was rumored to be"  
Vyse pulled on his blue coat, buttoning it up in the front. "And that place is"  
"Yafutoma area. Whoever the kidnapper was had a lot of good recourses, probably had help, too. How many people can get from Valua to Yafutoma in the span of maybe a week? Besides us and the Valuan army of course"  
Vyse leaned against the doorway, thinking. "Yafutoma. It wouldn't be on the main island, people would recognize her and someone would send word. Not to far north or south, once again, someone would have seen her. So either its one of the small islands surrounding the main island or its near the Dark Rift. Our highest bet would be the islands around the main one"  
Domingo nodded, proud of his captain. Vyse was young, but he had a good head on his shoulders when necessary. "Should I alert the others"  
"Anything else you need to tell me"  
"Rumors of activity in the Lands of Ice. It seems a few sailors have noticed a fleet of ghost ships, you could say. One sailor in the crew would notice the ships, no one else, and then the ships would disappear"  
Vyse nodded, seeming slightly uneasy. Once again Domingo had the feeling that Vyse knew about all of this before he had said anything. "Our priority," he stated determinedly. "is Fina. A few ghost ships floating above glaciers won't bother us. Tell the others we're moving out tomorrow"  
"Aye aye, Captain"  
Domingo turned, letting Vyse close the door again. His suspicions were aroused. Aika and Vyse had been in the room with the door closed, and he had his shirt off. No one could doubt that the two were acting more 'friendly' lately. And Vyse took everything all too calmly. He hadn't expected him to bounce off the walls with excitement, but at least a sigh of relief. It was as if Domingo had only been telling him stuff that Vyse already knew.  
Domingo shrugged it off, making a bee line to the tavern. He had had a long trip and wanted to get some grog. He'd get that little waitress girl to spread the word, what was her name? Urala. Besides, how often does a pirate get a break from work?  
-  
And that's it. Do not, I repeat, don't send me freakin flames/reviews about how long that took, I've been busy, that's all I'm gonna say. I understand it took forever, I'm sorry. I'm not going to make excuses.  
Please review. 


	11. Chapter Eleven

Here. I'm not dead, don't worry about it. There's no excuse as to why I haven't been writing except the fact that I couldn't think of how to word things, then I just forgot about it for a while until I could pull it up again. Don't you worry, I'm gonna finish this story, then I'm going to start some more stories (Got three sitting around in my head). But I'm not sure what so start next.  
Let me tell you, this has an awfully blank ending. I didn't know how to end it. Well I did, but I didn't know how to word it... But anyways, on to the show!  
-  
Vyse stared at Blueheim with cold eyes. He wondered why no one came to move the decommissioned Gigas. Oh well. It made things much more easier for him. He bent down, plucking one of the smaller feathers from Blueheim's artificial wing. It was heavy, made of a material that didn't come to Vyse's mind immediately. A few silver veins ran through the wing, sparkling sometimes. It still had some life in it. Vyse smirked, tucking the wing in his pocket. He almost felt proud of himself before he remembered the purpose of gathering bits of the Gigases. He cursed to himself before climbing back into his little lifeboat again.  
Off to find Fina.  
-  
"I am sorry, Vyse, I have not heard any word of Fina in my lands"  
Aika bit her lip, worried again. Her mind was torn between wanting to find Fina or... well, she didn't know what else there was, but Fina was her best friend, and once she was found, Aika would have to tell her about her relationship with Vyse. She snuck a look a Vyse, who had his head bowed. He really did look so regal and handsome. And he was hers. It made her smile despite herself.  
Vyse noticed Aika's gaze and grin, but didn't acknowledge it. This meeting was for business, play time would be later. "Thank you, Lord Mikado. If you don't mind, but could my crew stay for a few more days? We heard a rumor that Fina might be in one of the surrounding islands"  
"Anything for the you and your crew"  
"Thank you, Lord Mikado," he said, bowing. He glanced at Aika, signaling that it was time to leave. She bowed once before turning and following Vyse out. Once out of the king's sight, she snuggled with Vyse, giggling. Vyse smiled, allowing her to cling to his arm. Aika stopped herself, sighing.  
"Vyse, look at me. I'm giggling in joy when our best friend is out there missing"  
"Its not wrong to be happy. You still grieve, that shows that you care." Vyse stepped into the guest house and sat on a pillow. He thought for a moment before looking at Aika, who was lost in thought. "I was planning to split the crew into groups, two or three per group. We have enough ships for about eight groups. Sound good"  
"Of course. How will we contact each other"  
Vyse pulled out a map of the Yafutoma airspace. Several islands were marked with a red pin. "Almost all of the islands are in sight of each other. A simple Pyri spell would be enough to alert others in surrounding areas"  
Aika nodded, astonished at Vyse's swift reasoning. She looked at the map. "So who's going where"  
Vyse took a pen out of his pocket, pairing members of his crew up. Almost every island had a group to search it. He wrote down the names of the groups on the map, saving one fairly large one for last. He paused, his pen hovering above the island. Aika looked at him. "What's wrong"  
Vyse frowned, putting the pen down. "This island... We should have passed it on the way here, but we didn't. I remember, there were no islands on starboard side"  
"That's odd," Aika stated. "You're sure"  
"Positive"  
"Well, we can always look and see if it appears. Could be something to discover, remember the dynamics of Mirage Lake"  
Vyse shrugged, writing their names down under the island. "We have a lot more islands to choose from if necessary"  
"Vyse! It's been forever"  
Both turned, eyes falling on the Diago's broad stature. The prince had cast off his royal garb and chosen the more comfortable clothes he wore while in exile. He strode over to Vyse, clamping him hard on the back. Vyse winced, jerking forward from the hard motion. Diago sat beside the two, smiling heartily. "And the lovely Aika! Such company is rare"  
Aika smiled. She always like Diago. Maybe it was because he reminded her of Vyse. Nonetheless, his friendly, approachable manor was nice compared to the harsh, old pirate types she mainly saw. "Diago, how are you doing"  
"Excellent! I would have come to greet you at the docks, but I just got back. The Tenkou needed me. Seems they aren't complete without me..." He paused, frowning with confusion. "Where's Fina"  
Vyse looked at the map, making invisible lines with his pen. Aika sighed. "She went missing a while ago. Kidnapped"  
"Kidnapped!" Diago growled, clenching his fists. "When I find the scum that did it"  
If it wasn't for the nature of the situation, Vyse would have laughed. Diago was a lot like him, though he had a bit of a dramatic flair sometimes. Vyse looked back at the map, pointing at the island with his pen. "Diago, do you know anything about this island"  
Diago leaned over the map, studying it for a moment. His brow furrowed in confusion before he leaned back, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Most maps don't have that island on there. Where did you get it"  
"It was in storage," Aika said. "We assumed the Empire made it"  
"Well, the Empire did know practically everything about the world." Diago tapped his finger on the island, looking at the two seriously. "This island is called the Island of Misery. Many people have wasted away looking for it. Its said to have mountains of treasure on it, out in the open for anyone who wants it. The catch is that it appears at random. You can never be sure when you'll see it, or if you will. There is a legend among my people that says that there was an evil wizard that sold his soul to the demons of the sky to become the richest man in the world. He hid his riches on the island, casting a spell on it so that no one would be able to see it as long as he was wandering the world. Eventually the demons took his body as a sacrifice. His ghost remains on the island, moaning his misery, hence the name. The spell he cast remains partially intact, since his soul remains to watch us, but he is not here physically"  
Vyse and Aika sat silently, stunned by the story. Vyse nodded slowly, taking everything in. Aika smiled. "You say mountains of treasure"  
"Well, that's what they say"  
Aika laughed triumphantly. "Vyse, we're going to search for this island until it kills us"  
Vyse didn't know whether to sigh or to laugh. "What about Fina"  
"We'll find her, too"  
Diago laughed heartily. "You two bring life to this boring country. You must visit more often. By the way, how is my sister doing"  
Vyse rolled the map up into a tight cylinder, standing up. He smiled. "She's in Valua with Enrique now. Next time we visit them, we'll see if she wants to come back for a bit." He looked at Aika, tapping the map in his hands. "Aika, I think we shouldn't waste time. Lets tell the others"  
-  
Vyse looked at the map again, alone in the bridge. Everyone was in the hall eating dinner, and he had slipped away unnoticed by anyone. He thought about the date, trying to figure out when the Island of Misery would reappear once again. Many people didn't realize, but there was a pattern as to when the island appeared. It was a simple math trick. Two days in a row, then the second day after, then the third day, then the fifth day, then the eight day, then the thirteenth day. 1,1,2,3,5,8,13. The last day was considered the first day again, so the day after that it appeared for another day before disappearing.  
This would have been the last day, so tomorrow the island could be reached. Very fortunate for him, for he didn't have time to waste. The project was sensitive, and if he took to much time on it, then all of his hard work would have been for naught. Tomorrow his crew would go out to search, and he and Aika would go to the Island of Misery and do some investigating there.  
He almost chuckled before stopping himself, eyes wide in surprise and fright. He was proud of his accomplishments. It couldn't be denied, he had steadily stopped hating his job and took pleasure in it. But after his night with Aika, who wouldn't be? But why would he enjoy such horridness? Unless that fool was at the island commanding him to enjoy it. Was it possible? He wasn't too sure if anything was or wasn't possible these days. His whole life had been turned upside down, and he could be sure of nothing. Vyse sighed, leaving the map on the table and retreating to the dinning hall.  
-  
Aika sighed, watching the other members of the crew take the miniature boats and go off to their assigned islands. The only crew members left on the boat were Marco and Belle, who would remain to watch after the ship. Hopefully someone would find Fina. If they didn't this time around, Enrique and Moegi were to come in a few days times and aid in the searching.  
She looked over at Vyse, who was stirring the ship with an expert's hands. He seemed tense, as if he anticipated something. What that something was she probably would never know. Even though the two had a close relationship, he still kept secrets. But Aika had long since decided that it didn't matter; she knew that Vyse wouldn't do anything to hurt her or her friends. So what harm would a secret do?  
"I'm going to circle this area for a bit," Vyse said, looking over his shoulder at her. "Look out the port side windows, tell me if you see an island"  
"Okay." She got up from where she was sitting, walking over to the windows. The whole idea of this Island of Misery scared her. An entire island that disappeared randomly? What would happen if it disappeared and they were still on it? Where would they go? Was it possible that there was an area like the Dark Rift around here that the island was periodically sucked into? She shivered. The Dark Rift was definitely not her favorite place, and she would have rather not have anything to do with it again.  
She gasped. "Its there. There's an island right here"  
It was more like a continent than an island. It had looked much smaller on the map. Vyse, smiled. "Guess we've made another discovery"  
Aika returned the grin. "I guess we have"  
She looked back at the windows, her excitement banishing her worries for the moment. It looked so quaint, with its green forests, blue lakes, small villages, wide fields-  
Small villages? "Vyse, I thought this island was inhabited"  
"Isn't it"  
"There are houses"  
"Hmm..." He didn't say any more on it, a thoughtful look falling on his face. "Lets anchor right on the southern tip, we can get on a boat from there"  
"Alright," Aika said, going back to the machines and controls. Soon the two were out of the ship, cruising around the fields in their miniature boat. They hadn't run into anyone or anything when the boat made a sudden sputtering sound and stopped, dropping to the ground heavily. Aika gripped the edges of the boat as Vyse pressed numerous buttons.  
"I can't get it to respond," he said finally. There was a pause where both of them contemplated what to do. Vyse turned to her with a desperate grin. "Guess we go on foot"  
"Walk this entire island?" she responded with disbelief. She'd never walked so much in her life... but what choice did she have? Vyse hopped out of the boat, holding a hand out to help Aika down. She took it gratefully, even though she could get out by herself. Normally she would have smacked a guy for thinking she needed help to do something like that, but Vyse just made it romantic.  
He smiled at her, not letting go of her hand. "Alright then, lets go"  
Aika was too busy staring over Vyse's shoulder and the abandoned shack in the distance. "Someone lived here once," she distantly pointed out. Vyse turned, looking at the shack. The shack was small and of early design. It was leaning to one side, as if its foundation couldn't bare to hold up all the house's weight.  
"How depressing"  
"Vyse, we have to look inside." She tugged on his hand, pulling him towards the shack. "What if there's a clue"  
'She's too eager,' Vyse thought. 'Why is she running into things like this with such determination'  
Aika opened the door carefully, revealing a cloud of dust. Was that someone behind the dust? "Is anyone there?" she called out gently. She stepped inside a bit, her hand falling from Vyse's. "Hello"  
Vyse backed up from the house. It was tearing his heart to have to do this. This was possibly the only time he had completed part of the plan and not been happy about it. He closed his eyes and waited five seconds. There was the thud of a body hitting the floor heavily. He walked back in the house, the sleeping gas not effecting him at all. He scooped Aika into his arms and walked back outside, not surprised to see a small caravel hovering fifteen feet above his head. With a single bound he made it to the railing. He didn't make eye contact with anyone on board, not even when he handed Aika's body to a crew member who took her below decks. He sat with his back against the railing, taking a distance look.  
-  
And there you have it. Who saw this ending coming? I'm going to tie up any loose ends in the last chapter, but so that I don't forget anything, review and ask me any questions about the plot that has been bugging you for a long time. Though I'd like to think I've kinda revealed everything... no questions about what they're about to do, you'll find that out soon (in six months.  
Please review. 


	12. Chapter Twelve

Ugh... I got this helluva cold today. Randomly, too. I was just in class when all of a sudden my throat started to hurt, then my ears, then I just felt crummy... then I went to the doctors and waited two hours for them to give me some shampoo like substance to gurgle for my throat, but its not getting rid of the sickness. I got real mad at that.  
And that medicine! I used it once today, and I vow never to take it again. It 1) Felt like shampoo in my mouth, 2) Tasted like you'd expect dish detergent to taste like, and 3) Left my tongue numb for a good half hour. No, that wasn't cool. I'd rather suffer. Cause I know I'll get over things quickly.  
But yah. Here's the next chapter, within the same month as the last update. We're winding down, folks. Once this is done, I'm starting a story that got deleted some time ago... I think you guys will like it.  
-  
"Impossible"  
Ilchymis adjusted his microscope, taking a closer look at the red liquid underneath of it. "How did they... Why would they... Where did they get the technology"  
Belle looked at Ilchymis with confusion. She had just discovered that Ilchymis loved to talk to himself when he was working on something. As usual, it was in the form of a question, but it had never sounded this urgent. She jumped when Ilchymis looked directly at her. "Belle, where did the captain say he was heading to"  
"Um..." The sudden attention from the scholar had surprised her. It was the first time he had even looked at her during this whole experiment of his. "I think he was going to Yafutoma"  
Ilchymis cursed to himself. "How are we going to get to Yafutoma in time? Goodness"  
"Why do you need to get to Yafutoma"  
Ilchymis didn't answer, packing away all of his equipment. "Tell everyone that they need to prepare for a trip, get in contact with the Empire so we can borrow a ship. We need to get to Vyse, NOW"  
Belle blinked before going off to tell everyone the news. She had never seen Ilchymis so panicked. What in the world was going on"  
-  
Voices. They were talking somewhere above her. She tried to open her eyes but found she couldn't. She couldn't feel her body, not even the tips of her fingers. 'I've been drugged,' she concluded. Giving up, she concentrated on the voices.  
"Is everything where it's supposed to be"  
"Yes"  
"I hope it wasn't too difficult""And here's the next part of the plan. In one piece, too, I'm impressed." I'm assuming you didn't have to force her"  
"... You're a sick man"  
"Yes, that I know"  
Both of the voices were familiar, but the second one seemed to be someone she knew well, but the drug was working all too well, and she couldn't place where she knew the voice from.  
"I think it's time for sleeping beauty here to wake up. Go ahead, and be gentle about it, we can't have her being damaged"  
Silence, then a few beeps of a computer. Stars exploded behind her eyes, and she flinched. Her mouth hung open as she felt all traces of the drug rush out of her, leaving behind a dazed sensation. Her chest heaved as she panted, trying to get fresh air into her body. 'This is worse than a loqua hangover,' she thought with bitter humor. Slowly she opened her eyes. The blinding white light that met her eyes made her blink rapidly before they got adjusted to it. Her vision focused on the man standing beside her, looking down. "Vyse"  
He didn't respond, turning around. "She's awake"  
Aika tried to sit up, only to find that she was restrained by chains. "Vyse! Help me out"  
Another man came into view, smiling as he rested a hand on Vyse's shoulder. His pale eyes rested on Aika, causing shivers to go down her spine. "Excellent. We can begin the operation soon, once she's recovered from the gas"  
"What operation?" Aika asked worriedly, her voice taking on a bit of panic. What was going on? And why wouldn't Vyse look at her?  
"Vyse, why don't you escort Miss Aika here to the waiting room"  
Vyse nodded, knowing a command when he heard one. He leaned down, his fingers lightly brushing the chains. There was a flash of silver light that made Aika squint, and then she was free. "How did you do that?" she asked, not recognizing the spell. Once again he didn't answer, pulling her off of the bed. His touch wasn't harsh, but it wasn't gentle at the same time. She stumbled a bit before righting herself. Vyse gripped her arm, muttering a quick, "Follow me," before leading her out. Aika stepped warily out with him, too absorbed with Vyse's strange behavior to notice the other man's gaze following her greedily.  
Once they were outside of the room and in the halls, Vyse dropped her arm with a small sigh. He still didn't look at her, and made no effort to start conversation. The two walked in silence, round many corners and down many halls, before Aika stopped. Vyse stopped, too. "Please follow me," he said blatantly.  
"Not until you tell me what's going on"  
"Don't worry"  
"Vyse, what's gotten into you? You haven't even looked at me since I woke up! And why are you listening to that man? What's going on"  
Vyse was silent for a moment before he continued to walk. "You can stay here if you wish. I'm sure someone will find you eventually, but then who knows what would happen. Or you could get lost and wander these halls forever. Whatever you wish to do"  
Aika gasped. Such sharp words, this wasn't the Vyse she knew and loved. She watched as he turned a corner before the words actually sunk in. He had left her here, in this labyrinth. 'No worries, I'll just go back,' she thought, turning around. The sight made her pale. The hall looked exactly the same as it did in front of her, and she couldn't remember which way she had turned last. She turned back around, sobbing at the exactly same set up as what was behind her- or was it in front of her? She wasn't sure which way was which now.  
"Vyse," she whimpered quietly. She didn't want to remain lost in here for anyone to find her. There was a chuckle, and then Vyse reappeared from around the corner.  
"Aika, it would be in your best interest to just follow me. You trust me, don't you"  
Aika looked at him for a moment. He was grinning, and was actually looking her in the eye this time. She sighed before smiling back at him. She did trust him. With her life, even. But how could she be so sure? He had been acting really strange, cold, harsh, something that wasn't characteristic of him. "What's going on?" she asked, taking a step closer to him.  
Somehow his arm found its way around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He rested his chin on her head. "Don't worry about it, okay? I promise everything will be alright"  
She sighed, melting against her lover. Well, if he said everything was going to be alright, then everything would be fine. Vyse had never lied to her before. She allowed him to steer her into an all white room, where he left her with promises that he'd be back soon.  
-  
"Excellent work, Vyse. I couldn't have done a better job myself"  
Vyse just looked out the window at the countryside of the Island of Misery. This was were the Silvites had made their home, a hidden island that was only accessible by those who lived here or knew the pattern. The island was a peaceful place, but it housed such an evil it was sickening.  
Nylas poured two glasses of loqua. Handing one to Vyse, he asked, "Where is the other one, the Silvite"  
"I don't know." He took the loqua but didn't drink it, holding it in his hand as if it was just a prop, not really important or necessary.  
"Shame," Nylas said. "You'll need to find her next, once all of this is over. And three other subjects, do you have any in mind"  
He nodded slowly, gritting his teeth. To work for this guy... he was bringing shame to himself, his family, and everyone who knew him. But what choice did he have? Nylas could have been holding him at gun point for goodness sake. Nylas took a sip of his loqua, laughing evilly. "Come, Vyse, raise your glass and make a toast with me- to a successful plan"  
"Naw, I don't want to"  
He glared at the pirate with a mixture of hatred and shock. He had forgotten how defective the first project had turned out to be. Hopefully all the glitches had been worked out, and the second experiment would work better. "Fine," he responded sharply. "Though I'm sure you, as a pirate, shall regret the waste of good loqua, imported from Ixa'taka itself"  
"It won't taste as good as loqua that is tasted with the sane, trust me"  
The glass of loqua shattered in Nylas's hand as his anger caused his fist to clench. "You're forgetting your place, Vyse"  
Vyse glared at him. "Don't worry, I'm not forgetting. I just don't like the place I'm in"  
'Insolent little-' Nylas cleared his throat, getting a towel to wipe the loqua off his hand. "Fine, then go busy yourself elsewhere. Though if you go anywhere near the waiting room, you can expect a night with your hands bond"  
Vyse flinched, his hand clutching one of the scars on his wrists before he could stop himself. He could remember the horribly searing pain as if it was being inflicted upon him at that moment. Nylas noticed the motion and smirked knowingly. It was the one thing Vyse feared- a small thread of crushed moonstones had been weaved into normal rope, and were the perfect defense against someone like Vyse. The ropes came in different intensities; the lower ones would sting, leave scars, and didn't cause too much pain, but the higher intensities could leave someone twitching and shrieking in pain, the pain reaching all the way into every bone of the body. All of this Vyse had found out the hard way when he first arrived at the Silvite village as a punishment for some crime he had committed, or was it just from Nylas's sick and twisted mind?  
"I think I will," Vyse said boldly in a futile effort to hide his fear of the ropes. He marched out of the room, the door sliding shut behind him. He wanted so badly to go to the waiting room and talk to Aika, but it would be suicide. If only he could break the bonds that Nylas had on him.  
A soft smile came to his lips. A plan had come to his head. A plan that would need more thinking through, and possibly result in the worst possible torture ever, but it would solve almost all problems. Besides, he had overcome so much more. He walked down the hall slowly, thinking deeply. -  
Aika had been staring at the same glittering spot in the wall for the past hour. She was starting to regret coming with Vyse. There was this nagging feeling in the back of her brain that told her something wasn't right in this situation. However, her heart was taking more liberties than it should have been and was shoving all logical thoughts to the side. If Vyse said it was alright, then everything was alright. No questions asked.  
She was surprised when the door opened, revealing three men in what had to be military uniform. One of them was holding a vial of a transparent liquid. "Miss Aika?" asked the man holding the vial.  
Aika stood from her cushioned chair. "Where's Vyse"  
He ignored her question, advancing towards her. "Miss Aika, I will have to ask you to stay completely still while we begin the procedure. It won't hurt a bit"  
She watched in growing horror as the man attached a long needle to the vial. Were they going to inject that liquid into her? "Where's Vyse?" she repeated with more force in her voice. "I won't do anything without him here"  
The other two men grabbed her, laying her down on the floor. Despite her struggles, valorous as they were, she couldn't break free from their grasp. The man with the needle kneeled, holding her arm. "Please, Miss Aika, if you'll just relax, you'll see Vyse in a short while. Have a good rest," he said as he stuck the needle into the fleshy part of her arm, right below her shoulder. She gasped as she felt the liquid into her. Another drug.  
Her eyes slid half closed. Her limbs were limp, and she had no control over any body function whatsoever. She couldn't even protest as one of the men picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder like a bag of rice. 'What have you done, Vyse?' she thought as she was carried out of the waiting room.  
-  
And I'm done. Yippee. Within a very good time frame, too. Now, I'm going to sit back in warm clothes and try to get as much rest as possible for my recovery.  
Please Review. 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Okay, so I just realized that Fanfiction is messing up my story! It won't show the double spacing! For that, I am really mad, but maybe its because I'm working on a Mac. Sorry, but thats not going to make me move to PC from now on; the only PC in this house is a death trap. And I love my iBook.

Soooooo... I'm gonna add a couple more spaces between my paragraphs, see if that works. Yeah. And I'm sorry there's not much I can do about the other chapters, I deleted them from my computer ages ago. I could probably fix them, however. If I had the time. Don't expect it.

Oh, and for the ones that are actually my anime fanfic fans and are just along for the ride... I've made a new story! I'll let you find out what it is...

-------

"That's impossible!" Enrique said, slamming his hands on the table in the bridge of the Delphinus. "How could anyone do that?"

"Thats what I thought too," Ilchymis replied calmly. "But there's nothing we can do about it. Its already happened. Which is why we need you to take us to Yafutoma as fast as you possibly can."

Moegi sighed, thinking deeply. "Ilchymis, are you sure going to the captain is a good idea?"

The scholar pushed his glasses higher on his nose. "What do you mean?"

"Well, they've used Vyse as a vessel for the Gigas already. Its assumable that they need other vessels, too. So, blindly rushing in and giving them what they want isn't that much of a good idea."

"Very true." Ilchymis looked out the window, seeing only black clouds. "However, we're his crew, and we cannot just leave him in this time of need."

-------

Fina snuck around the corner, avoiding the guards that were patrolling the area. She had managed to escape from the catacombs, and, with brilliant deduction, she had found her way to the Silvite's island. She had gathered from what she had heard that Vyse and Aika were somewhere in the building, but the place was just too large for even her to navigate, even with the help of maps on the wall. It was just too easy to loose track of how many halls she had passed, and which way she had turned last. So she was moving at a slow pace, concentrating on trying to find Aika.

"Hey!"

She turned down another hall quickly, running blindly from whoever it was behind her. She turned down halls at random, hoping to confuse her pursuer. She stopped after seemingly fifty turns. 'I hope that was a good enough distance,' she thought, panting slightly.

"Fina, what are you doing here?"

She looked up, surprised to see the person who had tied her up in the catacombs staring right at her. Growling, she stepped away from here. "You..."

He smiled. "Come on, Fina, let bygones be bygones."

"Bygones?" Fina shrieked. "You dare even mention bygones?"

"Well, I'm just glad you're alright. We were really worried about you." He closed the gap between them quickly. Fina blinked as he took her hands. She had barely seen him move. "Worried sick, really. Thank heavens you're okay."

She snapped her hands away from his, growling in disgust. "Don't you dare even act like you were worried. You betrayed us!"

"Guess there's no denying that, but it wasn't on purpose..."

"Not on purpose?" she echoed ferociously. "You accidently tied me up and left me for dead?"

"Not for dead, Fina. I let you escape."

Fina shook her head in disgust. She cast one last glare at him before turning, running down the halls again. Thankfully, he didn't follow her. He chuckled, turning around and walking the other way. She wouldn't be able to escape the building. She was like a fly that had wandered into the spider's web on purpose. There was nowhere she could run.

-------

Aika woke on an operating table- if you could call it an being awake. She was only dimly aware of what was going on around her. It was like being in a dream. She could see and hear all, but she couldn't interact. Also, her emotions and reactions seemed to be acting a bit sluggish. Instead of feeling shocked or worried, she noticed that she just felt mildly surprised. Somewhere a door opened. She turned her head to gaze upon the intruder in her dream world.

It was Vyse, along with the other guy, what was his name? Mylas, Tylas, something like that. The guy stood back with his arms crossed and a smug smile on his face. Vyse hesitated before moving to her side, in front of a what had to be a control panel. He stared at it for a while, sighing. "Are you sure you don't want to do this yourself, Nylas?" he asked.

The man- Nylas- smiled even brighter. Or rather darker. Darker was the best word for that smile. "No, I'm sure Vyse. I want you to enjoy it."

There was a pause. Then, "There's an intruder in the building." He was obviously trying to stall. Aika turned away from him, looking about her. It was then she first noticed the numerous needles and other sharp objects aimed at her from above. 'Interesting,' she thought. 'Wonder what they're used for?'

"The guards will take care of her. She's not a threat. Now do it Vyse."

Vyse clenched his teeth together. It was a direct order, he couldn't disobey. His hand hovered over the 'On' button. Everything else had seemed so easy. Collecting all of the DNA, lying to the others, it had been like testing his own abilities. But this seemed so difficult. Hurting one of his closest friends, who had given herself to him so willingly... it just wasn't in him.

He let his arm drop to his side. "I can't do it," he finally said.

Nylas rolled his eyes, taking out a silver sphere from his pocket. "Come now, Vyse. Is it that difficult? Just press the button, and watch. Not much to it. Now, do as I say, Vyse."

Vyse's hand shot up of its own accord. It stopped above the button. That was as far as his willpower would let it go. 'You can't do this Vyse,' he thought.

'You have to,' said a voice in his head in response to his own thought.

'She's your friend. More than a friend, really.'

'You must.'

'I can't condemn her to the life I have to live.'

'Obey your master!'

"I won't!" he screamed. An intense white light spilled out from his hand onto the control panel. The panel melted under the direct heat. Aika turned her head to look at him, wondering what he was getting so worked up about. It was just a button. So what if he didn't like it, he didn't have to melt it.

Nylas held out the Silver Crystal. "You will, Vyse! I command you to!"

Vyse turned to Nylas slowly, his eyes flashing silver. "I don't have to listen to you," he said, emitting an energy wave, small, but powerful nonetheless. Everything relatively stable crashed in on itself. The Silver Crystal somehow escaped from Nylas's hands, flying into Vyse's. He looked at it. This little stone had caused him so much trouble. He curled it in his fist, and, without any sign of effort, crushed it between his fingers

Nylas choked, his breath catching in his throat. He sunk to his knees, and then fell onto the floor, dead. He wasn't the only one the destruction of the crystal was effecting. Vyse clutched at his head, his eyes shut tightly. It was as if someone was raking a thousand fingernails on a thousand chalkboards, amplified five times. The noise in his head made every bone in his body hurt. He couldn't take it. He allowed his vision to blur, and then finally turn black.

-------

'I'm not too sure what will happen to me. Some would view this as a blessing, but I view this as a curse. Am I to be cursed for eternity? Constantly fearing someone uprooting my number one weakness. I would have to tell the others, that will be hard though. I've deceived them for so long, I can't even begin to imagine the truth. But I guess I have to. If I can't trust them, who can I trust?

... She'll have to know, at least. Not just the edified, sugar coated version. I have to get down on my knees and beg for her to forgive me. I doubt she will. I've used her just for my own stupid desires. Yes, I can call them desires. I think that deep down inside, I was like a dog. One abused, tortured dog. No matter how much I hated my master, I was still eager to please. So I desired to follow of his plans to the fullest. It makes me disgust myself even more. How can I go on living after what I've done? It scares me more than the idea of someone besides the others finding out- having to live with it.

I think this is the only time I've ever thought about putting a knife through my heart.

But that would be giving up. And I can't just give up on the others after what I've done. I owe them so much. Much more than just the truth.

All I can do is hope for their forgiveness.'

-------

And thats it. I did this whole chapter in one night, less than two hours, actually. Wow. What you can do when you try. Guess I was motivated after making my new story. I'm personally proud of the little monologue at the end. It makes up for the crappy rebellion bit I had. That was so awkward to write. I didn't know what to do! Which is why its so vague. I'm not good at dramatics.

There will be one other chapter besides this. Just one (I think). The epilogue, if you will. Tying up all loose ends. I hope you figured somethings out though. I tried to make them semi-obvious. Kinda. I dunno.

Please review with any questions you may have remaining. I'll try to answer them in my last chapter. 


	14. Epilogue

Guess who's back? Yeah, thats right y'all. Changed the name and everything. I've been having this craving for fanfiction lately. I've been reading Gorillaz fanfiction and I've recently been getting reviews for this story, which has got me pumped. Which is a good sign, cause whenever I've been on a fanfiction spree I end up finishing a good portion my novel. But man... Its been a while, hasn't it? Yeah... good times. Good times.

I can't say that I'll finish "When Demons Return" anytime soon, but I've been having Skies of Arcadia day dreams. I mean that quite literally. I have perfected the skill of sleeping with my eyes open. Managed to think of an entirely new plot. But for now, I need to finish this story. So here it comes, the long awaited epilogue of Gigas!

(I don't own this game. Well, I own a copy, but not the title)

-  
"In all my years, I have even heard of something like this happening," Brabham said, pulling on his beard.

"How is this even possible?" Marco asked, sticking tight to Polly's skirts. The cook nodded, looking at Illchymis with the same question written on her face.

The scholar fixed his glasses and cleared his throat. 'This is why I didn't want to leave my home,' he thought to himself. He wasn't too good with crowds, and this one was no exception, even though he knew every person in this crowd well. "It started that time they disappeared for that amount of time. The story they gave us wasn't exactly legitimate. Instead of chasing a bounty like they told us, they were kidnapped by a Silvite colony that was stationed a bit north of Yafutoma. A man by the name of Nylas injected some extract of Zelos into Vyse's blood." He turned to Belle, who handed him the vial. "This basically meant that Vyse was under Nylas's power, but my suspicion is that Vyse had some control over himself. He gave me this," he held up the vial of blood for all to see, "and when I examined it, I discovered the mixture in his blood." Illchymis lowered the vial, looking at it. "The technology behind this is amazing," he muttered to himself.

"I don't care what you say, its still a pretty dastardly thing he did." Merida said, putting her hands on her hips.

Pinta sighed. "You can't blame him though. Not like he had a choice."

"I agree with the girl," Ryu-kan barked roughly. "He did not show honorable behavior."

Illchymis put his hands up, trying to appease the mass that was growing angrier by the second. "Please, everybody, you have to understand. This isn't a matter of right or wrong. Yes, he did put several of our friends in danger, yes, he kept secrets from us, however..." He looked down at the ground. "The effects of what that man did are long lasting. Everyone here remembers the battle against the silver gigas. That thing had power beyond comprehension. By chance we caught it when it was at its weakest phase. There is no weak phase in Vyse. We now have a captain that is pretty much invincible." The scholar looked back up at his crewmates. "But we also have a captain who is vulnerable to anyone who finds out about this. An incident like the one we just had could easily happen if a person came along with the right tool, with possibly more devasting results. Vyse is a dangerous weapon. So we all need to keep this to ourselves. Never breathe a word of this to anyone. Not even amongst yourselves. You never know who could be listening."

-

The said dangerous weapon was currently in bed, looking out the window. The whole excursion had left him weak and tired. For three days he had been in bed; he had only been awake for the last one. He had recovered enough strength to sit up and even to have conversation, but it was generally interrupted by a spell of dizziness in which he had to lay back down and go to sleep. But it wasn't a restful sleep. In the dreams he had he was drifting in a sea of nothingness. He couldn't move, he can't speak, but he could hear, and what he heard were the voices of many inner demons. Most were minor, but there was a big one, a voice that would not let him be. When Vyse woke up, he couldn't remember the things the voice had said, but he knew by the feeling of dread inside of him that its statements weren't compliments.

The door opened, but Vyse didn't look from the window. Fina and Aika looked at each other. The first time the girls had come in to visit him Vyse had looked at them for the briefest of seconds before looking away. Now he didn't want to look at them at all. Fina went over and sat on the edge of his bed. "Vyse, we brought food for you. You need to eat and regain your strength."

"No thank you," was the quiet reply. Aika set the broth on the floor and stayed by the door. She wasn't like Fina, who forgave and forgot any offense committed against her. Aika couldn't decide whether or not to forgive Vyse, and she felt that she was justified in being indecisive. She had given her virginity to a man who had used her love against her. Sure, he had saved her in the end, but that didn't justify him playing her emotions, even if he was just following orders. She wanted to go and hold him, to comfort him and tell him everything would be okay, but she wanted to hate him all at the same time.

Fina took Vyse's hand in both of hers. The contact made him flinch and look at her. She caught his eyes and didn't let go. "Its okay, Vyse," she whispered. "I'm a Silvite, I understand how the gigas work. And I know how you work. You can't help but feel satisfied that a job has gone well. I know you were acting on orders when you tied me up in the sewers, but I also know that you weren't following orders when you let me escape. Don't beat yourself up about that. But Aika was hurt deeper than I was. You should let her know that what happened between you two was not a lie."

Not for the first time Vyse was in awe of this girl. For someone so naive to the ways of the world she could show so much wisdowm and understanding. He squeezed her hand in thanks, almost moved to tears. Fina smiled sweetly at him then stood from the bed. She walked past Aika and closed the door silently despite the redhead's frantic looks. She then prepared to stand guard, making sure no one got in or came out.

Aika was now trapped in a room with the man she was having internal conflicts about. 'Stupid Fina,' she thought, turning around to face the door. She didn't want to have to meet look at him. She was close to tears and she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of watching her cry. The presence of arms around her waist made her gasp. Vyse pulled her close to his chest affectionately. He was dizzy and panting from the effort of getting up and traveling across the room to do this but he needed to touch her. Otherwise, she wouldn't take his words to heart. "I'm sorry Aika," he whispered in her ear. "That moment we shared was real. Please don't think it was just an order. I really do love you. If I had been given an option, I would still have done it, because I love you more than anything else in the world. More than life itself." He ended by kissing her neck, closing his eyes to stop the room from spinning.

Her composure broke with that kiss and tears began to flow freely. She wanted to bury herself into his chestbut instead she slowly escorted him back to his bed.He looked up at her hopefully, anxiously. Was she ready to forgive him? The redhead brushed away her tears and gave him a cheery smile. "You need to eat something Vyse. I can't let you steer the Gypsy the way you are now." She brought the tray over to him, sitting on his bed. He smiled lovingly at her and allowed her to feed him the soup, occassionaly grabbing her hand and kissing it to show just how much he loved her.

(a few days later)

"Where to captain?"

Vyse looked at the map, studying it deeply. "Domingo told me of a fleet of ghost ships in the Lands of Ice. From what I gather they've got a hefty price on their heads, haven't they?"

Marco's jaw dropped. "But captain, its a whole fleet. Do you really mean to take on all of them at once?"

He smirked, cracking the knuckles in his fists. "I sure do."

Aika frowned, crossing her arms. "Vyse, thats a big risk you're taking. You're practically leading us into defeat."

He wrapped his arm around her waist with a chuckle. "Relax," he said. "We've got me. Weigh the anchor! We're setting sail everybody!"

-End

Woooooooooo. I did that whole thing in the span of one night. I was basically thinking of that off the top of my head because I forgot my original epilogue. Thanks for sticking with me so long you guys. I know this took forever but hopefully it was worth it. Stay tuned for the sequel, for which I am still researching for (since I haven't played the game in who knows how long). Thank you all! Nahemah signing out! 


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